Arthur's Life on Hetalia
by Tsuki the Wolf
Summary: A series of short stories of Arthur's life now that he has moved to the planet system Hetalia with Alfred and his pack. Based after 'Tsuki no Waltz'. USUK, Prucan, and other pairings.
1. Sleep

**A/N: A lot of people seriously wanted me to write this. Oh well, that's fine with me. I wanted to do this anyway because I had extra ideas I wanted to throw in about Arthur's Hetalia life, but I didn't want to make, like, whole chapters for it. So you get these. :) Enjoy!  
>And yes, there's some…stuff…in here. ;)<strong>

**They're mostly short things but there'll be the occasional long one. It's a series of one-shots in different chapters.**

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><p><strong>Sleep<strong>

_Something's wrong with Arthur._ Alfred noted as he watched his mate stumble for the third time in the past fifteen minutes. It was the middle of the very first day of Arthur being on planet Hetalia after moving from Earth and he didn't look good at all. His eyes drooped and the excited luster he had held yesterday and earlier that morning had faded to this…walking zombie. Alfred fretted. He didn't understand what was wrong with his mate.

Alfred wasn't the only one to notice. "Is something wrong with Arthur?" Gilbert muttered to him in the Hetalian language so that Arthur couldn't understand. Nicole was teaching Arthur, Zack, and Roger the Hetalian language but Arthur looked dazed –downright out of it, actually- and didn't appear to be learning anything. Alfred, Matthew, Gilbert, and Kiku sat watching, soaking in the rays of the Starlight (humans would call it a 'sun' but it was even farther away from the planet system so it was considered the Star) and Nicole shot them worried looks.

"You see it too." Alfred muttered and stood to rush over to Arthur. His pack followed. "Hey Artie?" Arthur blinked open his eyes and slowly turned his head to look at him.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Are you…feeling alright?"

"You didn't get attacked by a Shadow or anything, right?" Matthew asked.

"What? No. Why do you ask?" Arthur asked, frowning.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Nicole asked. "You look out of it."

"Sorry, I must be a little homesick, is all." Arthur rubbed his face and stood. "Let me go wash my face. That'll clear my head."

"I'll go with you." Alfred offered.

"Actually, I think we could all use a bath." Kiku stated. "It has become quite hot."

"Yeah, let's go cool down." Nicole agreed and Matthew picked up Roger and Gilbert grabbed Zack. The kids looked cheered to go take a dip. They couldn't quite speak yet but they were getting there. They could only say a few words in various languages. Arthur agreed and the pack travelled to the closest stream. It was wide and Alfred saw Arthur's relief when he told him that the water was like that of Earth, only cleaner.

Nicole carefully walked into the stream and Kiku helped her because the rocks were slippery and she was still pregnant after all. The kids easily scrambled over the rocks, not minding the little slipping. Arthur and Alfred got into the water together with Matthew and Gilbert and Arthur kneeled to splash water on his face. Alfred looked up into the sky and sighed. The weather was really nice today. He kept an eye on Arthur though, concerned although the man seemed to have returned to himself some.

Nicole splashed Alfred then, distracting him. She laughed. "You!" He laughed and kicked water back at her. Gilbert jumped in, using a large leaf that had blown from one of the trees to scoop water up and dump it on Alfred. Matthew had Zack on his back and spun around with Roger in his arms. Arthur chased after them as they migrated further into the stream to where it became a river, careful to avoid slipping. They played in that river until the Star began to set and then Alfred noticed something. He turned around and he saw that Arthur was gone.

"Artie!" He called, scared. His pack froze and looked about them. "Did you guys see Arthur?" He asked them.

"I didn't!" Nicole said, looking scared as well.

"There!" Roger called and pointed and they looked in the direction. On the shore a bit down Arthur had collapsed. Alfred cried out and they rushed over to him.

"Artie!" He shook his mate but Arthur was unresponsive.

"Move!" Matthew pushed Alfred out of the way –being the one with medical experience- and checked Arthur's pulse. "He's still alive. Let's get him to Yao's." Alfred nodded.

* * *

><p>Alfred hated being around Ivan and his pack. He didn't really have a problem with Yao's siblings –most of them actually really liked him- but it was Ivan and his sister Natalia. She was still furious that Ivan had acquired Yao as a mate instead of her and constantly tried to convince him to get rid of Yao because 'she would take him even if he had Yao's mate-scent on him'. Katyusha, Ivan's older sister, wasn't bad though. And she had a nice rack too.<p>

But Alfred knew he could put up with anything right now as long as Arthur would be okay. Was he sick? Did he get hurt? Was being on this planet doing something to his system? Alfred didn't know and it was worrying him dearly.

"Alfred, if you do not rest, you will lose your hair." Kiku joked lightly to try to calm him. Alfred smiled at him to thank him for the effort, but it didn't help. His hands ran into his hair and gripped it tightly.

"Did I do something wrong, Kiku? Did I not plug in the right directions for the pod?" He asked him.

"I doubt that you did something wrong." Kiku said. He had begged Nicole and the rest of the pack to entertain Ivan's pack (for whatever reason Nicole got along well with Ivan. It tended to worry Kiku and Alfred about her mental state) so that Alfred and Kiku could be left alone.

"But what caused him to collapse?" Alfred placed his hands on Kiku's shoulders, teary-eyed. "What if I killed him somehow?"

"Calm down-aru." Yao walked out of his and Ivan's house from where he had been caring for Arthur. He had a small hospital on the second floor. "You didn't do anything."

Alfred jumped up. "How is he?"

"He collapsed from exhaustion." Yao stated.

Alfred was confused. "But how? He's only been here for a day."

"And he slept through the night." Kiku added.

Yao put his hands on his hips and frowned disapprovingly. "Did you forget-aru? A day here is three days worth on Earth! Arthur hasn't slept for three days-aru!" Alfred froze. He hadn't even thought about that. He had just assumed that Arthur would adjust immediately. He didn't even think of the time difference.

"Crap." He said.

"What do you recommend, then?" Matthew asked, coming up behind them. He was always learning about how to be a doctor for the sake that Alfred's pack didn't want to have to keep on bothering Yao. They needed their own doctor even though Ivan's pack wasn't too far away from Alfred's.

"He needs to take at least two naps a day so that his body can gradually adjust to the time change. Humans are extremely adaptable to these types of things-aru. Eventually he should be able to stay up for longer periods of time, but I think he'll still need a nap in the middle of the day no matter what-aru." Yao said.

"Thanks a bunch, Yao. Can I see him?" Alfred asked.

"He's asleep right now but you can take him home. Just be quiet about it." Yao nodded to them and then left to go over to his mate. Yong Soo was throwing a fit at Natalia and Ivan appeared to be having a rough time handling it. Gilbert and Nicole quickly joined Alfred while laughing.

"What happened?" Kiku asked as Alfred ran inside to get Arthur and Nicole handed Zack to Matthew.

"Yong Soo ran over and groped the hell out of Natalia when he was playing with his sister and Natalia was threatening to kill him and Ivan was all upset because he was pissed that Yong Soo groped his sister but he didn't want to anger Yao." Gilbert chuckled.

"Ivan has it rough." Nicole said although she still laughed. "Yao seems to be more of the Alpha." Alfred came out carrying Arthur then and they lowered their voices as they began walking back to their house.

"So what's wrong with Arthur?" Gilbert asked.

"He collapsed because of exhaustion." Matthew said.

"I should've seen that coming." Nicole scowled a little, angry at herself. "I had forgotten about the time difference."

"It's nobody's fault." Kiku assured her.

"But why would Artie not tell us, or something? We would've let him go to sleep if he wanted to." Alfred murmured. They didn't respond.

"You'll just have to ask when he wakes up." Gilbert said. Alfred nodded.

"And we'll have to let him sleep during the day two times." They arrived at the house and Alfred left his friends to enter his floor and carefully laid Arthur onto their bad before turning on the fan to the room and curling up with him on the bed. He buried his face into Arthur's hair and held him as he slept but didn't fall asleep himself.

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><p>About an hour later Arthur stirred and blinked tired eyes open. The sky was becoming dark and the other Hetalian planets were becoming visible along with many stars. He frowned not understanding how he had gotten to where he was and for a moment he freaked out and tried to sit up before he realized that he was being held down by a pair of arms. He looked to the side and Alfred smiled at him.<p>

"Evenin', sleepyhead." Alfred said. Arthur breathed out a sigh and relaxed back down, turning over to face him. He had a look of utter relief on his face before it disappeared into a confused frown.

"How did we get here? I thought we were at the river?"

"We were, but you collapsed." Alfred frowned at him. "If you were tired, why didn't you say so?"

Arthur looked away. "No particular reason. It was my first day here. I didn't want to waste it sleeping."

"That's not good, Artie! You need to let your body adjust!" Alfred sat up and loomed over him.

"It's fine, love." Arthur touched his cheek and met him in a soft kiss. He was still tired.

"It's not fine. Yao said that you should take two naps during the day until your body adjusts more and even after that you should have an afternoon nap."

"Then that's what I'll do." He shifted to get some more sleep and Alfred lay back down with him curled up in his arms. He felt a little bad for worrying his pack. "I heard that when it came to adjusting to a new time zone that you should stay up so that your internal clock adjusts." He yawned.

"Well you did that, so you should listen to Yao."

"Okay."

"Do you want to move outside?" Alfred asked.

"No, I'm still tired. I'll sleep here."

"Then I'll stay too." Arthur closed his eyes and breathed in Alfred's scent and sighed contently. He hadn't wanted to tell Alfred the real reason why he hadn't wanted to go to sleep. It was too embarrassing and stupid.

_I didn't want to wake up and find myself without you on Earth._

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><p><strong>AN: There's more to come, but here's one part!**


	2. Age

**A/N: You guys should realize that most of these are going to be really short. They're not supposed to be long so please don't complain about the shortness. :) Just to give you a head's up, y'know?**

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><p><strong>Age<strong>

Arthur has been on Hetalia for a total of three days now and he was enjoying every minute of it. There was an essential freedom to everything, something that he had never had before. If he wanted to run then one or all of his pack would run after him laughing and shouting cheerfully. He played with his nephews (it felt strange to say it, but he was related to them through Alfred) anytime he wanted and was usually the one to curl up and sleep with the kids during their mid-day nap.

But there was something at the back of Arthur's mind that bothered him and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. When he tried to think of it, it would slip his mind. It was on the third day that it finally occurred to him as an after-thought to one of his dreams. He had imagined that his body was growing heavier and his skin began hanging more and more off of his limbs and face. He couldn't run and his beautiful blonde hair became faded until it was white. His pack looked at him with horror and disgust and Alfred had cried, "Holy shit, I'm mates with _this _old dude?" Arthur looked at himself and reeled back in horror at this disgusting old body of his. And with a start that had him shoot up from his nightmare he realized, _I'm going to die before any of my friends do._

Arthur carefully laid the children (they had been using him for a pillow during their nap) down and rushed past his startled pack (who had been loitering about) to run to the nearest crystal. On Hetalia there were large dark blue crystals that looked similar to blue sapphires scattered all about. Alfred had explained to Arthur that they were worthless on Hetalia because of the abundance but Arthur knew that they would be worth a fortune on Earth. They were extremely reflective so Arthur used it to look at himself.

His skin didn't look much wrinkled at all (just slightly aged) and there were no liver spots of any sort. His hair was still the same warm blonde as before and his eyes were still a vivid green. The fact that he could run all the way proved he was still able to move as well. Arthur was still young.

He let out a sigh of relief and leaned his head on the crystal. But he wasn't all that young. He was already in his thirties and his dream had alerted him to a fact that he already knew –he would most likely die before his mate had even reached middle age. After all, in the time it would take for Alfred to become a year older (he was already, by Hetalian standards, twenty-one), Arthur would be three years older. If he somehow lived to be eighty, how old would Alfred be? He did the math quickly. Alfred would only just reach middle age. And even then he most likely wouldn't look any older than he already did.

"Arthur, is everything alright?" Kiku asked as the pack minus Gilbert and Matthew –they stayed with their children- came up to him.

"Yeah, did you have a nightmare or something?" Alfred came over and placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder. The man flinched and Alfred retracted his hand, surprised. "Artie?"

"Why…did you want me to be your mate?" Arthur whispered.

"What?"

Arthur knew that Alfred had heard him. "Answer me." He begged softly. Behind his back Kiku, Nicole, and Alfred looked at each other questioningly. Was it homesickness? A nightmare? Arthur was acting strange again, but Alfred had been making sure that Arthur had his rest.

_Should we give you some space? _Nicole questioned with her eyes. Alfred nodded once and they nodded back before going over to join the rest of the pack. Alfred overheard Gilbert questioning them.

"Why do you ask, Artie?" Alfred asked when they were gone.

"Alfred." There was no room for extra questions.

"…Well obviously it's because I fell in love with you." Alfred felt embarrassed to say it aloud. Talking bluntly about one's deeper feelings was an embarrassing thing for guys. That's more of a girl thing. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist and gazed into his mate's eyes through the crystal reflection. Arthur's eyes were troubled. "Why do you ask?"

"Because we both know that I will die long before you will." Arthur stated. Alfred finally understood and pressed his lips to Arthur's neck once.

"What's the estimated human lifespan?" He asked quietly.

"…Eighty is a good age although we can live longer."

"And chances are that you will." Alfred mumbled. "The air quality here is much better and there are a lot less diseases."

"That still doesn't matter."

"Artie, remember how old the oldest guy who lived on our planet was that I know of?" Arthur didn't respond. He didn't remember. "The oldest guy was fifty-eight by Hetalian years."

"That's still a hundred and seventy-four years, Alfred."

"You're not adding in the factor that your life will be extended here. Humans usually die of sickness on Earth. There's practically none of that here. You'll probably live well past a hundred."

Arthur turned in his arms to look at him, frustrated. "And what, be a sack of skin? Alfred I'll be unbearably elderly by that time! And you'll look like this forever!" He motioned to Alfred's body. "Who would want someone like-?" He stopped, not wanting to finish.

Alfred understood but looked unworried. "I can't be sure because you're the first human to ever live on Hetalia, but that might not be true." Arthur looked at him, not understanding. "I mean, we physically stop aging because there's nothing to cause us to age here on Hetalia. On Earth, we started aging again, although it definitely _was_ slower than humans'. I'm supposed to look sixteen, remember? It might happen to you too."

"What, slow my aging?"

"Yeah! Or maybe even stop it!" Alfred grinned and pressed a kiss to his lips and spun him around to lead him back over to their waiting pack.

"And if it doesn't?" Arthur felt a bubble of hope within him at the thought, but still couldn't help but be the realist.

"Then it doesn't matter." Alfred's grin softened to a smile. "You're my mate, Artie, and you aging won't change that. You're stuck with me until death do we part!"

Arthur sighed at the saying. "Time will have to tell, then."

"Yup!" His mate agreed. "Now let's go get some lunch! I'll make some burgers!"

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><p><strong>AN: There were some of you that were wondering what was going to happen with Artie's age difference and I hoped this cleared things up a bit. These short stories aren't only telling of what happens to Arthur on Hetalia, but also clears up some little details. If you have questions about certain things, I may write a short story about it to clear it up. :)**

**Review!**


	3. Heat

**A/N: Expect naughtiness in this chapter~  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Heat<strong>

It happened randomly one day about a week after Arthur moved to Hetalia. Arthur woke up from his and Alfred's self-proclaimed sleeping spot underneath a tree all alone. Arthur frowned at this. Alfred never passed up the opportunity to sleep cuddling against Arthur (Arthur had grown too used to it to be bothered by the cuddling anymore). It was strange to wake up to find the Hetalian absent.

He looked about him and noticed that the rest of his pack was missing as well. Unnerved and feeling a little worried, he stood and walked towards the house. Usually if they weren't sleeping they were at the house for food or whatever other reason. However as he got near it, he was tackled into a hug.

"Oof!" He grunted.

"Arthur!" Nicole cried in a soft tone, looking worried. Arthur was immediately alert. "Oh my god, Arthur you have to get away!"

"What? Why? Nicole, what is the matter?" He demanded, capturing the girl. He spotted Kiku run into the house carrying Zack and Roger and felt fear course through him.

"Arthur, how are you feeling? Hot? Needy? Anything?" Arthur was baffled by Nicole's questions.

"Wha-no! I want an explanation for your behavior!"

She looked him over once and said, "Shit, you're so screwed. We need to get you out of here now before-"

"Artie! You're awake!" Arthur looked over to see Alfred appear a short distance away, Gilbert and Matthew trying desperately to drag him back and failing. His face was bright red and his eyes were shining with something Arthur knew was familiar but couldn't quite name. He was grinning like mad. Arthur was instantly on alert.

Nicole started shoving on Arthur. "You have to run!"

"Why?" Arthur demanded, not liking being shoved and holding his ground.

"Just run, damn it!" Gilbert shouted at him. "We can't hold him back much longer!"

"Let me go, guys! I can't go to see my mate, all of a sudden?" Alfred demanded, annoyed.

"No!" Matthew grunted.

"What is this nonsense?" Arthur asked and slipped around Nicole –who gasped in horror- to approach the other males. Alfred's eyes sparkled even more as he approached and struggled more to reach him. "Just let him go."

Gilbert looked at him. "You said so." He released Alfred.

"Gilbert!" Matthew and Nicole shouted in alarm and Alfred broke free of his brother and tackled Arthur to the ground, shoving his lips onto his.

Arthur broke the kiss, shocked. "What are you doing, idiot!" He shouted, mortified as Alfred began to attack his neck and run his hands across his body.

"It's too late!" Nicole bemoaned, looking completely for Arthur as the man shoved at Alfred to get him off. Alfred refused to move though and Arthur felt his body unwillingly responding to his mate's touches. He moaned softly and then blushed for doing so.

"Alfred, stop! Our pack is still here!" He wiggled and gasped as he felt Alfred's erection rub against his own. "Fuck!"

Alfred paused this time, contemplating it. Arthur suddenly realized what the shine to Alfred's eyes was: completely unrestrained lust. "You're right." He turned his head over his shoulder to look at his packmates and glared ferociously and snarled, "Get the fuck away from us." They dashed into the house without a second thought. Arthur was shocked by this change in Alfred and honestly felt a little afraid. Alfred seemed to not like how close they were to the house and scooped Arthur up in a princess-hold. "Let's go somewhere more private." He said and ran into the forest. When they were a good distance away he placed Arthur on the ground and began his ministrations again.

Arthur wouldn't have minded this suddenly lustful Alfred, but he didn't like how fast everything was going. Alfred was moving as if in a hurry and Arthur wanted it a little slower. He tried to coax that when he entered Alfred's mouth, but Alfred would have none of it, growling at Arthur for being too slow. It was as Alfred ground them together (and through his now hazy mind) that Arthur realized that Alfred's body was burning up. He felt as if he had an alarmingly high fever.

"Alfred…" he panted, trying to concentrate, "are…are you sick?"

"No. No, I feel more alive than ever." Alfred responded before capturing his lips and lifting Arthur's hips. "I'm alive and I need you so fucking badly, Artie." Arthur was about to shout out about preparation but Alfred didn't give him the chance as he plunged straight in to the hilt. Arthur screamed out and clung to his mate, his body trembling with pain.

"That fucking hurt, you blasted fool!" He scolded, furious that he was in pain.

"Sorry. Sorry." Alfred murmured, showering his face with kisses and licking away his tears. Even his words were hurried. It was like he didn't have enough time in the world to do what he wanted. Arthur grudgingly accepted the apology and felt much better when –as if to make up for hurting him- Alfred pulled back and struck right in the spot Arthur needed. This time Arthur screamed out in pleasure. He wasn't quite sure what it was as Alfred moved against and within him, but there was something that caused his heart to pound –a type of scent in the air. He couldn't quite place it at first but then he recognized it as Alfred's –only it smelt different from the musky scent he naturally held. It was much stronger and thicker and it burned Arthur's every sense pleasantly. He was drowning in Alfred's scent and he couldn't bring himself to care. In fact, it felt like a sexual stimulant building his orgasm much faster and when he finally came with a cry it was more intense than he had ever felt it before.

He collapsed as Alfred pulled out of him and rolled over to take great gasping breaths. "Amazing." Arthur said and closed his eyes for a rest when a moment later Alfred was back over him kissing him. Arthur turned his head away. "What are you doing?" He asked but Alfred sucked on his neck and nipped at him. Arthur's body began to respond, shocking the human. He shouldn't have been able to recover that fast from his orgasm. It had never happened before. He felt that it was in response to Alfred's aphrodisiac-like scent but that didn't mean he didn't want an explanation. He was still tired. "Alfred, stop!" He said.

"I can't." Alfred growled, feeling the need to mark up Arthur's inner thighs now, "I can't stop, Artie. It's so hot. _You're_ so hot. I need you. I need to touch every part of you. I need to taste you. You're mine, Arthur, and I want you covered in my scent." He pressed a hurried kiss to his lips.

_Well if that's how you want to play…_ Arthur took the moment and pushed Alfred onto the man's back, startling the alien. "Then let me top this time. You should let me top more." He leaned forward and opened Alfred's mouth to his invasion. Alfred took it wholeheartedly and startlingly submitted to Arthur completely.

"Then take me, Arthur." Alfred said when they pulled away, his eyes gazing seductively at him. How could Arthur say no? He moved to soak his fingers in saliva in order to prepare his mate, but Alfred objected. "Don't. I just want you."

"Alfred, it'll hurt-"

"I don't care." Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck and brought him down. "I just want you in me." Arthur groaned and positioned himself quickly and entered his mate –wanting nothing more than the thrust into him hard and fast. Alfred cried out in pleasure and shuddered before pulling him into another kiss. "So good…faster, Arthur." He gasped but Arthur couldn't yet. He was overwhelmed with just how _hot_ Alfred was. He felt that he should be getting burnt but he wasn't and the tightness and heat just felt so fucking _good._

"Goddamn it, Alfred!" Arthur growled happily and started moving against his mate, setting his own pace. Alfred matched it perfectly no matter what rhythm Arthur set and it wasn't long before Arthur was brought to his end by all of the stimulation. Alfred took a bit longer and then followed after with a delicious cry that Arthur felt proud to have been the one to elicit. He pulled out and rested but didn't have enough time before Alfred was all over him once again.

* * *

><p>It went like that for multiple rounds and Arthur realized to his dread that Alfred wasn't stopping anytime soon. It was as if he had developed limitless stamina and sex drive and was constantly coming back for more. Even though Alfred let Arthur top occasionally, Arthur didn't have that much stamina and having sex actually became too much for him to the point that he just wanted to <em>stop<em> for half an hour at least. He didn't understand how his body could have so many orgasms and after so long he began crying with weariness.

"Alfred, please, just stop!" He sobbed after another round (he had long since lost track of how many). His body shook with fatigue and he couldn't even move much because it all just hurt. Alfred stopped, having been about to start a new round, and stared at him. Tears flowed from Arthur's eyes and his skin was bruised with the numerous hickeys Alfred had bestowed upon him. "Please, Alfred, I can't take any more!"

"But Arthur…" His blood was boiling in his veins. And Arthur's scent was thick in his nose sending his mind into the hurricane that had suddenly developed in his head. All he could think about was being inside of that body, of touching and mating and kissing and absorbing everything that was Arthur. He couldn't think straight. He just needed to be inside Arthur searching for that release that was begging to build and come out again. "Arthur, I _need _you." He whispered. Why didn't Arthur understand? Shouldn't he be feeling the same? Alfred wasn't close to done yet. He wasn't tired.

"I'm sorry, but I _can't_. Not anymore. Please, I need to rest. I can't handle it." Arthur choked on a sob and covered his eyes. His whole body hurt. This wasn't fun anymore. He hated begging and crying like this but his pride be damned he needed to stop Alfred and force wasn't working.

Something finally occurred to Alfred in his mind. Arthur was in pain. He didn't like it. He was hurting his mate. He forced aside the burning heat in him that demanded he force himself back into Arthur and settled down next to his mate, kissing his forehead. "I'm sorry, Artie. I'm sorry. I'll let you rest. I can wait." He cuddled Arthur to him.

Arthur felt complete and utter relief enter him. He had gotten Alfred to finally stop. He would probably start up again, but he had finally gained some time for some much needed rest. "Water?" He asked. Alfred nodded and stood up to walk away. A few moments later he came back with his face dripping with water and a large leaf with plenty for Arthur to drink from. Alfred held it out to him and Arthur carefully sat up (wincing in pain and struggling against his own weight) and drank as much as he could handle. He dumped the rest on his and sighed at the cool feeling. Alfred then pulled him into his arms and Arthur closed his eyes, instantly falling asleep.

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><p>He woke up sometime later –he assumed by the position of the Star it was nearing late noon- to notice movement in the bushes. He didn't feel alarm but saw that it was Kiku and Nicole. They motioned him closer. Arthur felt much more rested –albeit sore- from his sleep and noticed that Alfred was asleep. He carefully maneuvered out of his mate's arms and limped his way over to his friends.<p>

"What the fuck is wrong with him?" He demanded in a whisper, not wanting to wake Alfred.

"He's gone into his first heat." Kiku said. Both he and Nicole were holding their noses. The mixed mate-scent of Arthur and Alfred was so strong it was choking them. It's a pain to get close to a heat site during this type of thing unless you're part of it but they felt that Arthur deserved an explanation.

"Heat?" Arthur understood that animal term and understood it enough to see why Alfred was acting the way he was. "But why the hell won't he _stop_?"

"The fact that you managed to stop him shows just how much he cares for you, Arthur." Nicole stated, looking a little impressed. "Usually with mating it's an all-day occurrence."

"How the bloody hell can it go all day? What about food? Or rest?"

"Well, when one mate's heat is triggered usually the other's is as well so that they both have equal stamina and can easily go all day. They're worn out by the next day, though." Kiku explained. "It happens about twice a year."

"It's different for you humans, I guess." Nicole continued. "I didn't realize that you didn't have heats. I tried to warn you but…" Arthur glared slightly.

"So you mean I have to deal with this for a whole day twice a year?"

"Oh no!" Nicole shook her head. "That's only because this is Alfred's first heat. They're triggered after finding a mate but I guess it was put off because of his mate's absence. After the first one they become paced and much calmer. Like I said, the fact that you got him to stop so that you can rest is a miracle; the first heat is a blaze that feels like it'll consume you unless you mate and is practically unstoppable."

"I'm just thankful that he stopped so that I could sleep. I felt like I was going to pass out."

"He's waking!" Kiku hissed.

"Good luck, Arthur!" Nicole said and the two ran off. Arthur hurriedly made his way back to Alfred and closed his eyes to pretend he was still asleep. Above him Alfred woke up and whimpered slightly seeing his mate was still sleeping. But nonetheless he didn't try anything and Arthur fell asleep again to wake up a bit later. Feeling pity for his mate he allowed to go for another few rounds. This continued for the whole day, alternating between marathons of mating and sleeping. Arthur dreaded the next time Alfred hit his heat and hoped it wasn't anytime soon.

Alfred slept all day the day after only waking to relieve himself and to eat and then promptly pass out again. Matthew gave Arthur a type of plant to chew to help dull the intense pain his body was under. He was glad to have the day of space from his mate. He was annoyed with him and didn't want to really look at him. His packmates expressed their sympathies realizing that a Hetalian's mating cycle was probably very harsh and strenuous for a human whose heat didn't activate with its mate.

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><p><strong>AN: Poor Arthur. He has it rough with these crazy aliens. The things he has to put up with. Sometimes there's such a thing as too much sex.  
>Francis would have a field day, though. XD<strong>


	4. Jealousy

**Jealousy**

Arthur sat down in the field some number of days later (he was quickly losing count of how long he had been on Hetalia) with a steaming cup of freshly brewed tea. It wasn't the same type of tea on Earth but Kiku had found some nice replacements for the tea Arthur drank at home and he found that he quite enjoyed it. He watched his pack playing in the sun, the kids and him having just woken up from their nap together.

Gilbert and Matthew were teaching their sons how to transform into various animals, allowing them to study what the creatures looked like first. The kids seemed to be getting the hang of it. Arthur had already seen them transform into various creatures from both Earth and Hetalia.

Nicole and Kiku were sitting together talking softly to each other. Kiku placed a hand on Nicole's somewhat bulging tummy and smiled softly. Nicole smiled back and placed her hand on top of his before kissing. Arthur had never actually seen them kiss before and looked off to the side feeling as if he had invaded on something a little personal. Kiku's relationship made him feel that way because he barely did anything sexual around him. He was conservative.

Arthur felt a stab of jealousy at the two sights. He didn't quite understand what it was at first until it dawned on him that he was jealous of their family units. Matthew and Gilbert already had two children and Kiku and Nicole were going to have their own. Arthur –as far as he knew and he assumed- couldn't even adopt on this planet (although he still wasn't sure how Matthew had his children). He wanted his own children, though.

"What's up, Earth-dude?" Alfred asked, coming to sit down by him. Arthur shot him an exasperated frown at the name.

"Was that necessary?"

"Yes." Alfred laughed. Arthur turned to continue watching his nephews. Alfred leaned forward. "You really like kids, huh?"

"I've always adored children. They're so cute and innocent." Arthur developed a warm smile that Alfred didn't see very often and it filled him up. He felt now would be an appropriate time to speak.

"Well maybe we should start our own family, huh?"

"Yes, that would be nice." Arthur took a sip of his tea.

"That's great then because I'm already pregnant."

Arthur promptly spit out his tea.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Haha, you guys were probably expecting Artie to be the mummy, huh? Well I'll explain in the next chapter why he's not. :)**

**Btw, great way to drop the news, Alfred. Smooth.**


	5. News

**News**

"Wha-what the devil do you mean you're pregnant?" Arthur shouted, shocked by Alfred's sudden news.

Alfred shrugged nonchalantly as if he hadn't just announced the impossible. "Exactly what I said."

"How is that even _possible_?"

"Oh, Alfred! You're pregnant?" Nicole called, overhearing the conversation. Kiku helped her up and the pack ran over to join them.

"Are you really, Al? Congratulations!" Matthew said, happy for his brother.

"Damn, that's pure luck to get pregnant on the first shot." Gilbert commented, grinning. "Lucky you."

"Congratulations." Kiku said.

"Yeah, I seriously am pregnant!" Alfred jumped up while grinning. He was overjoyed for this fact. He wasn't sure _how_ he knew; he just knew that he was pregnant.

"You didn't answer my question!" Arthur cried, stopping their talking. Arthur's head was spinning. Surely Alfred was insane? But why was the pack going along with it?

"What question?" Alfred asked innocently, having forgotten.

"How is it possible that you're pregnant?"

"The same way that anybody can?" He replied slowly, wary of Arthur's tone.

"Yeah, he just went through his heat, after all." Gilbert said.

"So?" Arthur demanded.

"Well, the only time we can become pregnant is during our heat cycle." Kiku explained.

"However it's rare for one of us to become pregnant during the first heat. Our bodies aren't very fertile at all." Matthew added.

Arthur rubbed his eyes. "You're not. Answering. My. Question." He repeated slowly. He pointed at Alfred, addressing Nicole since she actually knew about humans. "How the _hell_ is he –a _male_- pregnant?"

"Oh!" Nicole said, finally understanding. "Oh, that's right. I'd forgotten that little tidbit about humans."

"What?" Alfred asked, not liking that Arthur was reacting in such a way. This was happy news. Why was he all pissy all of a sudden?

Nicole giggled just a little bit and made a waving motion with her hand as she explained, "Human males can't get pregnant. Only the females can."

"What?" Matthew asked, startled.

"Seriously?" Gilbert exclaimed. "That sucks! What about all of the same-sex couples?" He looked at Arthur.

"They adopt or they just don't have children." Arthur said, glad that they finally understood. "Are you telling me that you gents can?"

"Well, yeah!" Alfred said. "How do you think Mattie and Gilbo had their kids?"

"I don't know what I had thought." He looked away. "I'd just assumed it was adoption."

"And they look like us?" Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Jeez, you can be seriously stupid sometimes."

"Shut up!" Arthur yelled at him. "What the devil was I supposed to think? How can a male get pregnant anyhow?" Matthew opened his mouth to explain but Arthur cut him off, "No, never mind! I don't want to know." He held his head. He didn't want to know the anatomical instructions on how a male was able to carry a child.

"Why are you so upset?" Alfred asked, upset himself. Arthur was raining on his parade. He had thought that his mate wanted children.

Arthur closed his eyes and sighed. "I need to think." He said and left them. "_Don't_ follow me." He added when Alfred moved to come after him. Alfred stopped and pouted, feeling a bit hurt. Arthur left them and Alfred looked down. Kiku placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It is alright, Alfred. I am sure it is just culture shock."

"Maybe he likes children but doesn't actually want them?" Alfred wondered aloud, placing a hand over his tummy.

"Just let him think on it, Al." Matthew comforted his troubled older sibling. "It's not like he can take it back."

"Yeah, I guess…" Alfred walked off towards the house to go find something to eat.

"What's wron' with Uncle Al?" Zack asked from his father's back. By Gilbert's feet his younger brother was in the form of a jackalope –a rabbit of fair size with thin fur and antlers on its head.

"He's going to have a baby." His father said.

"He's definitely pregnant, though." Nicole said, slightly annoyed and partly amused. "I mean, he's already acting a bit hormonal. Look at him sulk."

Kiku chuckled with the others. "I believe Arthur will come around, though." There was a definite consensus of agreement on that opinion.

* * *

><p>Arthur paced in circles around a crystal spire and had been for the past ten minutes. He couldn't believe what he had been told. Alfred was pregnant. Alfred was pregnant with <em>his<em> child. He just couldn't believe it. It wasn't that Alfred was pregnant that kept him pacing (he had already come to terms with that five minutes ago) but really the thought that he was going to actually be a _father_. He had never pictured actually being a father. He couldn't see himself in the role. But yet he knew he had to and so he walked back to the house.

He imagined what it would be like having a child on Hetalia. Would it be male or female? Blonde hair or tan? Green or blue eyes? Would she be a mutant? He paused and his blood ran cold for a moment. What if…what if their child was a mutant? What if human and Hetalian didn't mix? Would it be a stillborn? Would the child die? What would Alfred think if Arthur was the one denying him his child (because he had hinted before that day that he had wanted to start a family)?

The fear caused Arthur to start running as if Alfred was going to die then and he needed to be by him. He burst into the house and ran upstairs to find the pack on the second floor lounging about. They looked at him in surprise as he panted and his eyes focused on Alfred.

"Are you alright?" He asked him.

Alfred looked baffled. "Yeah?"

"No pain or anything?"

"No, why would I?" Arthur let out his breath and approached him to sit next to him on one of the plush cushions made of the wool of a Yeti. He laid his head on Alfred's shoulder.

"What if a human-Hetalian hybrid can't be born?" He whispered.

"Why can't it?" Gilbert asked, munching on the jerky of a buffalo. "It's happened on Earth."

Arthur sat up. "It has?"

"Yeah, we told you that Artie." Alfred said. "Remember? We weren't the first Hetalians on Earth and there were probably family units. What, you didn't think they were all pure Hetalian, did you?"

"Yes…I suppose I did."

"You do not have to worry, Arthur." Matthew said with a soft smile. "Humans and Hetalians are compatible. Yours and Alfred's child will be the first hybrid born on Hetalia, though. Just like you're the first human."

Arthur felt a stir of pride at that fact and met Alfred's gaze. He felt his worry lighten. Alfred smiled some. "So you're okay with this?"

"I suppose it's just another one of the…quirks of being with an alien." Alfred hugged him.

"We're going to be great parents, Artie!" Behind him, Gilbert and Nicole scoffed playfully. Arthur and Alfred both glared and the rest laughed.


	6. Cuddling

**A/N: Bit of a short chapter but it's Spring Break for me now and I expect to have at least two more chapters done today!  
>Fluffiness ahoy!<strong>

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><p><strong>Cuddling<strong>

Alfred loved many, many things about his mate Arthur Kirkland: He loved how his mate-scent smelled (it had gotten to the point that a few deep breaths of the stuff would have him hard as a rock). He loved how he screamed his name during mating. He loved that Arthur wasn't afraid to bottom but was more than willing to top. He loved the face Arthur had when Alfred was grinding against or thrusting into him. He loved how Arthur's hands clawed at his back pleasurably in his need for a grip when he was about to come. He loved how Arthur looked when he came.

However there were more innocent things that Alfred also loved about his mate: He loved how Arthur would give him that soft smile that he hardly ever showed to anybody that didn't have anything but happiness in it. He loved how strong Arthur was (Alfred himself had been the one to cry like a baby when he left, not actually knowing that Arthur had done the same). He loved when his face turned red –be it from anger, frustration, embarrassment, or happiness. He loved the way his mate's large eyebrows would pinch together in confusion. He loved the tender kisses they shared. He loved talking with Arthur about everything and anything and yet nothing at all.

He just loved Arthur period. He couldn't put in order a list of things he loved about his mate.

However there was something in particular that Alfred loved Arthur for because of how rare it was. It was even rarer than Arthur's smile (which had been appearing more and more recently). It was the times that Arthur willingly cuddled up with Alfred. While it wasn't rare to see the two cuddling, it was rare for Arthur to be the one to initiate it and even more so to be the one to lay his head on Alfred's chest and wrap his arms around his waist and not the other way around. Those moments caused Alfred's heart to go crazy in his chest and he knew that Arthur was in a great mood. Sometimes it led to mating, but usually Alfred was just content like they were.

It was one of those nights when Alfred had settled himself into the spot he was going to sleep for the night and was waiting for Arthur to come over so that he could once again be lulled to sleep by Arthur's soft heartbeat. Arthur approached him and smiled lightly in response to Alfred's grin and lay down next to him before resting his head on Alfred's chest and wrapping his arms around his mate's waist. Alfred paused, confused with the action, but only allowed his smile to widen as he softly began to stroke Arthur's hair. He was about to comment on it, but he knew that Arthur would push him away if he did.

Arthur sighed contently and tilted his head up in askance. Alfred met him in a soft kiss before they both closed their eyes. Alfred indeed loved this cuddly Arthur. It was times like these he thought that he could die happily. It was one of the only times Arthur allowed him to protect him from the night time. He wrapped Arthur in an embrace and turned to onto his side to tuck Arthur's head under his chin. Arthur submitted to the action and curled up in his arms, burying his face into Alfred's neck and kissing it once before sighing softly. Instinctively Alfred scanned the immediate area with his eyes –he was protecting his mate and his child, after all (even if he was the one pregnant) - before burying his face into Arthur's hair and breathing in his scent. Somehow he still smelled of the Earth even having been gone from it for two weeks and Alfred could smell his own scent still thick on Arthur's body despite it having been a while since they had mated (because Arthur was unsure if he should have sex when Alfred was pregnant. Alfred had to change that thought for him).

Arthur's hand travelled down his mate's body and Alfred's breath hitched just slightly in anticipation as the hand brushed over his abdomen. However it stopped there and rest in an almost contemplating manner. Alfred placed his hand over Arthur's and Arthur looked up at him in question. Alfred grinned and gave him a peck before he returned Arthur's arm to around his waist as he rolled back onto his back. Arthur returned to his previous position and closed his eyes as he listened to Alfred's strange heartbeat. It didn't beat like a human's with its strange rhythm that was fast than a human's and seemed almost off. Nonetheless he understood that Alfred's body was bound to be different from his and wondered if Alfred thought his heartbeat was strange. He closed his eyes as his hand drifted back to Alfred's stomach and Alfred's hand met him there.

Yes, Alfred had many, many things he loved about Arthur, but cuddling like this was definitely up there.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Came up with this sappy idea in class. XD I feel the need to add a little in-between moment when there's nothing especially weird going on. Arthur's the type (in my mind-canon) that doesn't like to cuddle, but Alfred is. So Arthur allows him to curl up against him and lay on his chest and everything. Alfred, being the wonderfully cuddly cuddler he is, loves it when Arthur curls up against him instead for a change because it 1. Allows him the chance to sleep on his back (has anyone slept on their sides for a long time? It causes your arm to go numb sometimes! D:) and 2. Allows that inner animal to assert his dominance and 'protect' his mate.  
>Expect another chapter out today!<strong>


	7. Mood Swings

**A/N: Warning: expect OOC Alfred and furious to-be mothers.**

* * *

><p><strong>Mood-swings<strong>

Alfred's emotions were all over the place. Arthur always knew from the beginning that Alfred was an emotional guy who was ruled more by his feelings than his mind, but with the pregnancy it caused him to act as if on a roller coaster of emotions. And Arthur was developing whiplash from the ride. If it wasn't for the fact that Kiku was going through it as well and Gilbert had dealt with it before, he would've bashed his head against a rock until he passed out a long time ago.

But alas that was not to happen. Alfred's emotions were haywire. He could be happy one moment and be all cuddly in Arthur's arms and the next he would shove Arthur away, offended by something and yell at him. Arthur was left stunned and unsure what to do. And poor Kiku had to deal with the same from his mate.

"I can't believe you would say that! Do you _want _me to be a fatass?" Alfred demanded, furious. Arthur was stuck in another fight with him.

Arthur tried to keep his temper under control. "Well, I just think that maybe you should eat a bit more for the health of the child-"

"I was right! You just want me to get fat, huh? Are you tired of mating with me? Is that why you want me fat?" Alfred yelled.

"Alfred, you're being absolutely-"

"I can't BELIEVE you!" Nicole screamed from where apparently Kiku had offended her. She climbed to her feet, her stomach bulging now. "How could you say that?"

"Nicole, I only just-" Kiku tried to explain whatever had happened to her but Alfred interrupted.

"What, your mate being an asshole too?"

"Yeah! I can't stand any of them!" Nicole turned to Alfred.

"They have no idea what we're going through!"

"They're so fucking selfish!"

"Let's go somewhere else! I'm tired of the stench of asshole around us!" Nicole screamed and linked arms with Alfred. The two walked off together despite Kiku's cries for them to come back. They both flicked the pack off and they disappeared into the forest.

Arthur and Kiku were left distressed and confused and oh so irritated (at least on Arthur's account). "What the sodden hell is their problem?" Arthur demanded, throwing his hands up in the air. "He's worse than a hormonal woman from Earth –and I thought _that_ was bad!"

"I hadn't meant to insult her…" Kiku murmured, upset.

Gilbert came up to them and placed hands on their shoulders. "Don't worry about it too much. They'll be back and back to normal before you know it. It's just a phase."

"How long will this 'phase' last?" Arthur asked. "I'd like to not have to deal with a mate that will be all over me one minute, and then try to bite my head off, beg for sex the next, and then go cry when I tell him no only to start the process all over again!"

"It differs for different people." Gilbert shrugged. "It's just bad luck that they both are going through that phase at the same time."

"Perhaps I should go after her." Kiku suggested, his eyes not taken off of the forest.

"You'll only make it worse." Kiku conceded.

"Was I ever that bad, Gilbert?" Matthew asked as he and his sons approached. They looked similar to three year olds now, although they were cowering just a little bit but were trying not to be obvious.

"You were horrible, Matt!" Gilbert exclaimed. "I couldn't believe you could yell so loud!"

"Yes, it was most terrifying." Kiku agreed, having been there as well. "We were afraid to come near."

Matthew looked down in guilt. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Gilbert wrapped an arm around his shoulders and kissed his temple. "That's just how our pregnancies work."

Five minutes passed when the pack heard two voices screaming at each other and a few minutes later the two pregnant Hetalians stormed back. "I hate you." Nicole growled at Alfred.

"The feeling's mutual!" Alfred barked back.

"What happened, you two?" Matthew asked. Nicole turned to Kiku and her eyes watered, completely ignoring Matthew's query.

"I'm so sorry!" She sobbed and threw herself into his arms. "I didn't mean to yell at you! I don't think you're an asshole! I just felt ever so upset!"

Kiku petted Nicole's head, a flicker of relief crossing his features. "It's alright, _koibito. _I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. Forgive me as well."

"It was my fault!" She wailed and buried her face into his shoulder.

Arthur turned to Alfred waiting for his emotional breakdown as well, but Alfred just glared at him. "Well?" Alfred demanded, as if he was the one waiting.

"What do you want? I'm waiting for _my_ apology!"

"_Yours?_ You're the one who insulted me! You want me to get fat!"

"Alfred, you_ pregnant._" Arthur pointed out.

Alfred's rage fizzled all of a sudden. "I know that." He stated, placing his hands on his stomach.

"You're _going_ to become fat!" Arthur continued.

Alfred choked on a sob. "I know that!" He wailed. "I already know I'm going to get fat and you're not going to want to mate with me because I'm just such a fatass!" He fell to the ground like a child and sobbed into his legs. Arthur heaved a sigh, mentally exhausted and stressed. He crouched down.

"Would you like a hug?" He asked. Alfred lifted his head and nodded and Arthur took him into his arms. Really, Alfred was acting like a child. But Arthur knew that he would just have to put up with it for now. He cradled Alfred in his arms for a few moments before Alfred lifted his head and looked at Nicole.

"I'm sorry, Nicky. I don't hate you!" He said.

"I don't hate you either!" Nicole cried and the two hugged each other tightly, saying how much they loved each other. Arthur and Kiku shared a look that was reciprocated by Matthew and Gilbert. It was going to be a long pregnancy if this kept up.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh god, the mood-swings. Poor Hetalians+Arthur. Oh well. Any interesting ideas for little stuff you can suggest it!**


	8. Date

**A/N: Hm, about the actual giving birth scene, I'm not sure I want to do it 1. Because I'm not really sure how to go about it (Hetalians don't have navals which means that they don't use umbilical cords. They need to have a different method of birth than humans) and 2. Giving birth scenes frankly gross me out (have you ever SEEN someone give birth? D: Scarred for life, man!) so I'm not sure if I actually want to write one.  
><strong>

**But I do like your ideas! Thanks for all of the support, guys!  
><strong>

**This chapter will probably be one of the longest.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Date<strong>

Before Arthur knew it, Nicole had ballooned out around her stomach area. He was shocked because it had just barely been a month since he had been on Hetalia and she wasn't even showing very much –if at all- when he had first arrived. But because she had gotten so large, everyone in the pack agreed it was time to move her to the birthing planet. Nicole couldn't transform though so they were left to walk to the closest city port where Arthur and Alfred had first arrived from.

"How are you already so close to birth, Nicole?" Arthur asked, shocked. Even though Nicole had become big, she still wasn't as big as a nine-month pregnant mother on Earth. Arthur was unsure if she was even close to birth. She looked like she could use another two months.

"Well, I'm coming close to my three-month period." Nicole said. "And I'm going to need help giving birth."

"Three months?" Arthur paused to gather his thoughts and did some mental conversions. "Oh, yes. I see now." Three months was equal to nine months on Earth. It made sense. But that meant that the fetus grew extremely fast. Arthur was worried by the size of the baby, though.

"I'm so excited!" Alfred said, pumping his fist. "We'll get another pack member! And soon Artie and I will add onto it as well!" Arthur resisted a smile and glanced at Alfred's tummy. It had only swollen a little bit. It could easily be mistaken as a gut from all of the food he had been eating –namely Arthur's cooking, which Arthur was pleased with (the others of the pack were not. They feared for the child's life).

"Let's just hope we don't have many more alpha personalities, though." Gilbert stated as he kept an eye on Zack and Roger. The two had become the size of four year olds now and could speak well and were running around as wolves playing. "We don't need more fighting."

"No kidding." Nicole agreed, placing her hand on her tummy. "Although chances are it will be a boy, so there won't be much of a choice sometimes. Alpha personalities _are _one in four."

"Why is that?" Arthur asked.

"Well, having a girl is very unlikely on our planet. They just don't survive well." Matthew said. "It's lucky that Nicole is here."

"Yes, I am glad for that." Kiku took Nicole's hand and Nicole smiled at him.

"So there are more troubles if you are pregnant with a girl?" Arthur asked.

"Not really." Matthew answered. "It just that they're more fragile. And because of the boys constant rough-housing they can easily become injured."

"Most don't survive past childhood." Gilbert stated gravely. Arthur was alarmed and looked at Alfred. The man was frowning, but he didn't seem all that worried.

Kiku noticed Arthur's distress. "But it also depends on the parents. The genes within the parents can affect how strong their child is."

"Yeah," Nicole agreed, "I couldn't play as much as my other packmates when I was little but as I reached my teen years my bones became stronger and I was able to play as long as I was a bit careful. Now I'm as strong as any of these guys."

But it still worried Arthur. _So now I not only have to worry about my child being mutated, but I also have to worry about it if it is a girl._

When they arrived in the city, the pack waved Nicole and Kiku off as they went into the space-port. They would be gone until the baby was born and after they would stay for another week. Arthur already felt a sense of loneliness from losing his two closest friends. Alfred wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Hey Gilbert, Mattie, how 'bout we have a double date? We haven't done that yet!" He suggested.

"That sounds great!" Matthew agreed.

"But what about the kids?" Gilbert growled a little and yanked Zack off of Roger. "Guys, chill out. No playing here."

Zack pouted. "But vati, I was winning!" He said in English. He and Roger were instructed to use English mostly unless spoken to in Hetalian or German or French. They were still rusty in German and French, though.

"Yeah, we're trying to settle som'ing!" Roger slurred a little, still getting used to speaking English.

"When we leave the city you guys can fight all you want." Their dad told them. "I'll even teach you."

"Yeah!" Roger and Zack jumped up in excitement.

"Gilbert." Matthew scolded softly. "But only if you two behave for the babysitter." He told the children.

"Aw, why do we have to go, papa?" Zack asked as they both pouted.

"Because you need to interact with other children." Matthew stated. "Now let's go." The pack of six travelled over to a building that was very spacious inside with various toys and climbing equipment. The tree looked like a natural playground inside with the roots growing into the building and forming complicated slides, climbing materials, and swings that were added to the roots. There weren't too many other kids though. There were only about six there not including Zack and Roger.

Arthur and Alfred stayed back as Matthew and Gilbert checked the children in for a while. "This'll be great!" Alfred said to Arthur. "This is the first time we'll be on a double date, Artie!"

"I'm more excited about the city, honestly." Arthur said, looking outside of the building to look at all of the places. There was a pond that shot water mysteriously into the air and had some people playing in it. Arthur could smell food and knew that they were near restaurants, although he couldn't tell what the food was. He also saw people and creatures (probably more Hetalians, he suspected) milling about or walking purposefully from building to building. It looked like a small but busy mall.

"Yeah, but this place is kind of small compared to the one more south of here. Their buildings are huge and there's an amusement park and all kinds of stuff!" Alfred said. "But we can't go because I can't transform."

"You can't?" Arthur asked startled as Matthew and Gilbert rejoined them and they exited.

"Yeah, you couldn't tell? I haven't been able to transform. How did you think that I found out I was pregnant?" Alfred asked.

"I-I didn't know."

"Well, there are two reasons why we can't transform:" Gilbert said, "One, we're injured enough to hinder us or two, we're pregnant. And considering Al wasn't injured that only left pregnancy."

"Yup!" Alfred agreed.

"So where should we go? There isn't much to do here." Matthew asked.

"I just want some food." Alfred groaned. "Although I really wish it was home-cooked." He glanced meaningfully at Arthur and Arthur swelled with happiness and pride.

"I'll cook some more for you later if you like, love." He said and gave Alfred a peck on the lips. Alfred looked excited at the thought. Gilbert and Matthew looked at each other fearfully. Their look easily said, _We're going to have a deformed niece or nephew at this rate. _They entered a restaurant that had various waiters running about and filling in orders for the morning rush. The building was set up almost like it had some type of theme but what theme Arthur couldn't guess. He assumed it was Hetalian.

They were led to a seat and asked for their orders. Arthur still didn't know too much Hetalian, though, so he couldn't read his menu. He asked Matthew to suggest something for him and Alfred ordered for the two of them instead. "We're going to be eating your food when we get home anyway." Alfred said with a grin. "We might as well share!"

"Alright, then." Arthur agreed. Gilbert, not to be out-shone, did the same for him and Matthew. Matthew sent him a confused look.

"If they're sharing food, why can't we?" Gilbert explained. Matthew rolled his eyes but smiled.

"As long as it's good." He said.

Arthur watched the people around him only catching bits and pieces of conversations with his limited grasp of the language. Zack and Roger had caught on fast to the language than he had. It was then Arthur noticed something. "Wait, I thought you said all of you worked." He turned to Alfred. "Why haven't any of you gone to work since I've been here?"

"That's because everyone in our pack works only winter through spring. It's summer right now." Alfred said.

"You only work for six months out of the year?"

"Yup. Everybody does. We work in shifts." Gilbert said. "I'm a mechanic for the ships and stuff. Matt's trying to become a doctor, and Alfred here you already know is a pilot."

"And Nicole is a teacher. What does Kiku do?" Arthur asked.

"He works on the third planet. He's a scientist and stuff." Alfred said vaguely. Arthur asked what type of scientist but Alfred shrugged. "Something with plants, I guess."

"You don't know?" Arthur asked, irked.

"Leave me alone!" Alfred growled, his mood-swing causing him to become upset and he glared at the wall opposite of Arthur. His mood-swings had died down since from before, but they were still there.

Arthur decided to ignore him. "And what about me? What will I do?" He asked his packmates.

"That's a good question. What do you _want_ to do?" Gilbert asked.

"I have a choice?"

"Of course." Matthew said. "I mean, some of the things you may not be exactly qualified for, but usually you can get just about any job. There's never been a lack of jobs around here. They range greatly in what you can do."

Arthur was pleased by this. "So I can be a teacher here if I want?"

"Yeah, pretty much. But it has to be something you're good at. And you have to get better at speaking Hetalian first."

"Hey, you could teach Earth Study with Nicole!" Alfred (over his mood now) said happily. "People have been becoming more and more interested in Earth since after we all came back."

"That's true." Matthew agreed. "Humans are an interesting topic here. You would have a large class."

Arthur thought about it. Teaching was his passion, after all. "But where do I apply?"

"Sometime after our baby is born, I'll take you to the city where I work okay?" Alfred said. "After all, the children will be going to school there."

"Speaking of which, Gilbert, Matthew, why are your children growing so rapidly?" Arthur questioned.

"They're not." Matthew stated, surprised. "This is about average."

"Although their transformation growth was slow." Alfred added under his breath. Arthur had a feeling that that wasn't a good thing.

"But they look like they're four!" Arthur said.

"Maybe by human standards." Gilbert said, "But they're not even one yet. This is about as much as they'll grow right now, though. They just went through a growth spurt."

"They'll be one in autumn." Matthew said cheerfully. Arthur was startled by the growth pattern of the children but didn't question it much more. He was becoming far too used to the life of Hetalians.


	9. Babies

**A/N: I have a feeling that my short stories are getting longer. XD It's the active imagination wanting everything possible in it. You guys don't mind, right? Haha.**

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><p><strong>Babies<strong>

Nicole and Kiku had a beautiful little boy with Kiku's black hair and brown eyes. He didn't cry much, Nicole had informed Arthur, when he had been born. They had named him Akane (which was actually a female's name in Japan but Nicole had insisted on it furiously and so Kiku had given in willingly) and he looked in all aspects like a human child. Arthur didn't understand how it was, though. These aliens were so similar to humans and yet they didn't have umbilical cords and the basics needed to sustain life within the womb –if they even had any.

Nicole had absolutely refused to let go of her child to anybody but Kiku for the second week of Akane's life during which they were back with their pack. She only allowed Kiku to hold onto him. She was unbearably protective and wouldn't even allow the children near her child. It was during that first week Akane barely opened his eyes and didn't cry very much at all. He was a silent child like his father.

Kiku was overprotective of his new child to a lesser degree. When Nicole wasn't defending Akane, Kiku was. He sat by Nicole at all times and the two kept Akane between them as they slept together. He actually growled at anybody who dared get within two feet of his family. This would've kept up too, but Alfred put an end to it by the end of the first week. He and Kiku very nearly came to physically fighting each other but they managed to settle it quietly, staring each other down in a form of communication. It was only after that first week could the others of the pack approach and get their first good look at Akane and actually hold him.

He was a tiny child, Arthur thought, being a little less than eleven inches long and weighing about five pounds. It worried the human greatly until the others reassured him that Akane was about average size for Hetalian children. Arthur had looked over at the twins then and realized that the growth patterns for Hetalians were quite sporadic. Nonetheless he adored the child just as much as the others did.

Matthew had explained to Arthur sometime during that first week of Kiku and his family being back that it was very normal behavior for the new family to be overly protective of their children. The child was still very weak and needed to be in contact with its parents. It was an instinctive reaction to protect one's child. Arthur already understood that, but he had thought that Kiku and Nicole had been overreacting. He understood that parents wanted to protect their children but to growl at friends and actually be willing to fight them without provocation was wrong.

The birth of Akane sent a stir of sudden parental love for the fetus within Alfred and he could help but stick close and keep placing his hand over Alfred's stomach. His child was growing within his lover and it made his heart flutter in anticipation and excitement. He wanted to meet the child as soon as possible. Alfred was right there with him as they discussed what the sex of the child would be and names for the child. The bond between them only seemed to strengthen and Arthur felt that his life was coming completely together.

* * *

><p>So the month passed and Arthur was startled at the weight gain Alfred had developed. He looked positively bloated –comically so. He appeared as if –like in cartoons- he had stuffed himself full. Alfred seemed unhindered by the weight gain, though, and was only bothered at mating. His sex drive had decreased greatly and he worried about mate-scents because Arthur's scent would not stay on his body. Arthur could only appease him by telling him that he was <em>pregnant.<em> Obviously Alfred had a mate. This calmed Alfred down enough.

Akane was crawling around some but still stayed close to his parents. Zack and Roger had stopped growing and often played with Akane much to both parties' parents' delights. Alfred felt a stab of jealousy at the sight. He was always behind when it came to his pack. He was the leader but he was the last one to do everything. Even his younger brother was ahead of him.

Arthur stroked Alfred's cheek and kissed him. "We will have one of our own soon enough, love." He told his mate and ran his hand along Alfred's bloated tummy. "And they will be more beautiful than any of the other children in this pack." He added in a whisper, smirking mischievously. Alfred grinned back.

"Well that's a given. It's _our_ child, after all." The two laughed together.

Eventually the day came –seemingly overnight, according to Arthur- when the pack decided that it was time for Arthur and Alfred to leave. Alfred had immediately agreed but Arthur had been startled by the abruptness. It had quite literally appeared from nowhere while they were all eating dinner under the stars. But nevertheless they all left for the city and at the spaceport they separated from their pack. Alfred and Arthur's hands linked and they followed a crowd of other pregnant Hetalians.

"Are you excited?" Alfred asked and Arthur knew that he would've been bouncing had it not been for his stomach.

"Very, love." Arthur agreed, his nervous butterflies bubbling in his stomach. He hadn't been on a spaceship in about three months. And now he was going to the birthing planet with all of these to-be mothers and their mates. His grip on Alfred's hand tightened as they climbed onto their ship and took their seats, buckling in.

"I haven't been to the birthing planet since I was born!" Alfred told Arthur. "It'll be cool to see it when I'll actually, you know, remember it."

"Do you remember it at all?" Arthur questioned, wanting to have some idea of what to expect. Alfred opened his mouth to respond when their names were called by a loud voice. They both turned to see Antonio and Lovino coming up the aisle. Alfred waved back enthusiastically.

"It's so great to see you again, _mis amigos!_" Antonio cried and hugged the two of them before leading the pregnant Lovino to greet them. Lovino grunted unhappily and the two took the seats next to Arthur and Alfred. "Alfred, you're pregnant!"

"Haha, yeah! And I can see Lovino is too!"

"I always thought that Arthur would be the one to get pregnant?" Arthur flushed a little.

"Nope! Apparently male humans can't get pregnant! Who knew, right?"

"You're kidding!"

"No, seriously!"

Arthur grew bored of their banter and turned to Lovino. "Congratulations."

"Yeah, you too." Lovino muttered, scowling at their loud mates.

"Do you know what the birthing planet is like?"

"Of course, dumbass. I've been there before." Lovino rolled his eyes. Arthur kept his patience in line. It was amazing how much patience one developed when there was little to no stress on one's life. However his confusion must've shown on his face and Lovino sighed. "This is our second child." He stated.

"Oh! I see. Are you excited?"

Lovino's eyes softened and a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. "Of course not. I've already had one child. It's not like it's that exciting or anything." But Arthur knew that he was lying.

The trip to the birthing planet was almost disappointingly quick. They arrived within five minutes and they exited onto the planet. Alfred and Arthur paused by the windows of the building to gape. In place of the usual vegetation that Arthur had long since grown used to there were what appeared to be just grass (it was a soft blue) and strange rock pits (they were soft yellow) with mothers and little babies in them. They didn't get the chance to explore it more as they were ushered along.

The building they were in was a type of hospital, Arthur realized, and they two of them were led to a hotel-like room. It had all the comforts of a home minus a kitchen. It was large and there was a giant sun-roof to allow the stars to be seen (for there was no atmosphere that blocked the sky's view) and soft Starlight was filtered into the room. There was no need for any luggage and so Arthur and Alfred went together over to the bed and lay upon it together.

"It's lovely here." Arthur stated, staring at the sky.

"Yeah. I wonder what we're supposed to do." Arthur sat up and looked around before spotting a booklet on the dresser. He climbed off of the bed to retrieve it before returning to his mate. He flipped through it with Alfred.

"It looks like there are various things we can do here." He stated and then read, "_All pregnant guests and their mates are allowed to go and join whichever activities they wish to join that are in this list (_here they had a list of various activities ranging from swimming, to a spa, to buffets, to games that Arthur didn't know of on it). _The times for these are posted on the door every morning. However pregnant guests and their mates are asked to stay within the building they were led to and to not disturb the recent mothers and their children.' _Well that's absurd. What if we have friends that recently gave birth and we want to visit them?" Arthur asked.

"Oh, it's because you remember how Nicole and Kiku acted towards us? All of the new parents act that way. Only other new parents with their children are allowed to get close to them." Alfred explained. "It's so that there isn't any fighting, not because they're trying to separate us or anything. By the way, your Hetalian has gotten really good."

"Thank you. I've been working hard, you see. Soon I'll be able to speak as well as read in Hetalian. Well, what shall we do first, unless you'd like to sleep?" Alfred had been resting a bit more recently.

"Let's go eat!"

* * *

><p>They spent a total of two days taking advantage of all of the things available to them and Arthur was thrilled. It was like being in a first class resort for free. He could do practically everything he wanted, he had Alfred all to himself, and soon they would have a child. The only slight disappointment was Alfred's lack of sex drive. Now would be the perfect time since the room's bed was unbelievably comfortable.<p>

But after two days Alfred sat up in the middle of the night and said, "Arthur, press the button."

Arthur took a few moments to wake up and asked him to repeat himself before asking, "Why? What button?"

"The one by the door! Hurry!" Arthur didn't question him anymore and hopped out of the bed to do as he was told. Within moments two doctors –or Arthur assumed that they were- rushed in with a type of wheelchair and helped Alfred into it. Alfred was wincing in slight pain. He was rushed out and Arthur was about to run after when he was stopped.

"Please wait here. We promise to bring you to your mate in a few minutes." The doctor said.

"But he's giving birth alone! Can't I be with him?" Arthur demanded in Hetalian, trying to get around the doctor. He was glad that he had been practicing.

"For the safety of your mate and child I don't recommend it. Please, it will only take a few minutes. You may see him immediately afterwards." With that the doctor left Arthur standing fully awake now and alone. He fretted to himself, pacing back and forth and glancing at the clock and the door. Was Alfred in pain? Was he calling for him? How would he give birth exactly? What birth took only a 'few minutes'? Arthur scratched his head furiously wanting nothing more than to be with Alfred at that moment. He hadn't been alone like this in a long time. He was used to near-constant companionship.

Ten minutes passed when his door opened and the doctor silently motioned for Arthur to follow him. The two rushed (or Arthur did and the doctor tried to keep up) towards wherever the delivery room was and the doctor opened a door and allowed Arthur to enter by himself. Inside he found Alfred on a bed, looking a little sweaty, red in the face, but grinning like a maniac.

"Artie!" He cried and held his arms open. Arthur rushed into them and they kissed once.

"Are you okay? Where is our child? Did it hurt too much?"

"No, not at all!" Alfred laughed. "It went by really fast. I was kind of in a daze. Dunno how they got it out of me, honestly. I think I saw fairies but I might have been imagining them."

"And our child?"

"Right here." They both looked to see a small bundle carried out to them. Arthur and Alfred's heart rates sky-rocketed and Alfred sat up fully (he winced once but ignored it) as the bundle was given to Arthur. They stared. The child had pale brown hair on top of its head and so far it hadn't opened its eyes. It appeared bigger than Nicole and Kiku's baby –looking to be about a foot long. "Congratulations on having a girl."

Both of the parents looked at the doctor in shock. "A girl?" Alfred asked. The doctor nodded. Alfred turned to Arthur. "You hear that, Artie? A girl."

"Then I guess that her name shall be Amelia, like we agreed." Arthur said breathlessly. He was stunned. This creature in his arms was his daughter: flesh and blood and both his and Alfred's. Not for the first time he thanked God for meeting Alfred. Such feats were unimaginable (naturally) on Earth.

"Yup!" Alfred said giddily. "Let me hold her." Arthur carefully handed her off to Alfred. It was then the doctor instructed them to follow him and they got up off of the bed. Alfred walked with Arthur between him and the doctor, watching the doctor with suspicious eyes. Arthur didn't question him and they were led to a new room similar to the old one with a different color scheme and on the other side of the building where the new families were located. Arthur and Alfred walked over to their bed and lay down together with Amelia tucked between them. She was sleeping soundly with her little hands balled together in little fists. Arthur's heart melted at the mere thought of her. His eyes misted up a little.

Alfred touched his cheek and Arthur looked at him with a smile. "She's ours, Arthur." He said softly. Arthur allowed a tear to fall from his eyes. He had never thought that he would ever have a child considering his sexual preference for men and now here he was with his gorgeous lover and their new daughter. They shared a kiss before Arthur whispered,

"Welcome to our family, Amelia."


	10. Newborn

**Newborn**

Arthur woke up to a strange sensation upon his chest. It was a soft suckling feeling and in his hazy half-awake state he wondered if maybe Alfred was trying to wake him up by arousing him in a sexual manner. He groaned in slight annoyance and murmured, "Alfred, stop it. I don't want to mate right now. I'm trying to sleep…"

He heard a muttered, "I'm not doing anything," from his mate in response. Arthur's eyes snapped open at that and saw that Alfred really wasn't touching him in exception to the arm around his waist. Arthur's eyes dropped to his chest in alarm before he saw the little girl suckling on him. He turned bright red.

"N-nothing's going to come out!" He squeaked and pulled his child away from his chest. The baby sniffled once and then burst into tears, wailing. Alfred jumped and fell off of the bed in shock, having not expected it.

"Wha-what's going on?" He demanded and then saw his daughter crying. Arthur sat up and held the girl cradled in his arms.

"I think she's hungry." He held out Amelia to his mate, but Alfred just nodded and jumped off of the bed.

"Hold onto her and I'll go get her some milk. There should be some in the fridge."

"You're not going to let her feed naturally?" Arthur asked, startled.

Alfred looked at him in befuddlement. "Feed naturally? What? What the heck do you mean?" Arthur grew flustered and didn't answer him at first as Alfred brought out a bottle and handed it to Arthur. They sat together as Amelia fed from the bottle and she quieted. Alfred pestered Arthur until he had explained what he had meant and Alfred burst into laughter. "I can't breastfeed her!" He laughed, practically falling off of the bed in laughter. "I'm a _guy_, Artie!" Arthur glared at him, furious in his embarrassment. How was he supposed to know that a male could give birth but not breastfeed?

When Amelia was finished and Arthur was carefully burping her, Alfred walked away and came back carrying what looked like a green diaper with a flowery design on it. Arthur raised an eyebrow in question and Alfred said, "Well, you don't want her pooping or peeing on you, do you?" Arthur agreed and Alfred put the diaper on their child. Arthur's heart thudded happily at the thought. _Their child_. His and Alfred's. A live child.

* * *

><p>Afterwards the new parents got up and decided to check out this new side of the birthing planet. Alfred carried Amelia and the three walked outside. Arthur saw those strange rocks that he had first noticed when they had first arrived on the planet and questioned Alfred about them. In response Alfred dragged Arthur over to one and called out Yao's name, which Arthur was surprised to hear. Yao looked up from his spot next to Ivan as Alfred and Arthur sat down next to them. Arthur then noticed that the 'rocks' were extremely soft –almost like a couch- yet firm enough to walk upon without sinking too much into it. Alfred placed Amelia onto the ground inside of the pit and turned to his friends.<p>

"I didn't know you guys were here too!" He said.

"Дa, Yao and I had our first child just two days ago." Ivan answered.

"Oh really? Congratulations." Arthur asked. "We just had ours yesterday."

"Congratulations-aru." Yao responded.

"Which one is it?" Alfred asked and Yao pointed to a little boy with dark silver hair gnawing on what appeared to be a bunny toy. Arthur felt like cooing at the sight and noticed Amelia already wiggling over to another child. Amelia made a soft noise and the other child –they looked a couple days older than the newborn and appeared to have already learnt how to crawl at least a little bit. The little boy looked at her –he had brown eyes- and wiggled to share a little ring with her. Arthur then realized that all of the children were smarter and much more aware than human babies were at that age.

Arthur felt a little unnerved to just let Amelia travel around the little pit and play with all of the other children but Alfred appeared unworried and chatted easily with other families. Arthur was stuck and talked mostly with Yao and Ivan seeing as he still hadn't learnt too much Hetalian (although he knew some he couldn't remember how to use it correctly and was surprised that the doctor had understood him yesterday. Chances were that he had only inferred what Arthur had meant to say). Yao and Ivan were pleasant company, though. Ivan didn't try anything like he had back on Earth and they got along fine. After about three hours they took their child and left. Alfred settled back down next to Arthur and hugged him, nuzzling his face into his neck.

"I'm so happy, Artie!" He said.

"I am as well." Arthur responded but he kept glancing worriedly at Amelia. Alfred lifted his head with a confused frown.

"What's wrong?"

"She hasn't even opened her eyes yet." Arthur said. "Should we really let her go around like that? She might become injured. She's a girl, too. What if that hinders her?"

"Her eyes will open by tomorrow." Alfred promised. "The other parents said that their eyes open after about a day. And she's fine in here. Nothing can happen to her."

"But still…"

"If you're so worried, should we bring her back to the room? We haven't eaten, after all and I'm sure she'll be hungry soon." Arthur nodded and he scooped Amelia up into his arms and the three travelled back to the room. Arthur settled down onto the bed with Amelia and kissed the crown of her head. Her hair was extremely thin but very soft. Arthur sighed contently and Alfred came up behind him and spooned against him.

"I ordered our food."

"Okay, love." Alfred's finger found Amelia's and the little girl gripped it. Alfred cooed and sat up a little to look at his daughter over Arthur's side. "Alfred, her eyelids are flickering!" Arthur alerted him and the little girl wiggled and squeezed her eyes shut tightly before beginning to open them. Arthur and Alfred held their breaths and finally the little girl opened her eyes for the first time to reveal Alfred's bright blue eyes.

"Aw, she has my eyes." Alfred said, although he sounded a bit disappointed. Amelia looked at him with wide eyes, appearing completely startled by this new world. Arthur glared at Alfred a little.

"So? Why do you sound so disappointed?" Amelia's eyes flicked to Arthur now and then down to the finger she was holding. She took in her surroundings swiftly.

"Because blue eyes are so common." Alfred pouted. "I wanted her to have your eyes." Arthur let out a scoff.

"You're ridiculous."

"Hey!" Amelia cooed a little and attracted the parents' attentions. Her fists waved frantically and Alfred laughed against Arthur's back. "She's so cute!"

"We'll have to be careful with her, Alfred. I don't think I could handle it if she…" He trailed off. Alfred sobered up.

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

><p>For the rest of the week Amelia became acquainted with various other children and Arthur and Alfred learnt the hassle of having to change diapers and wake up in the middle of the night. Amelia –quite the contrast to Akane- was a loud child and cried even when she really didn't need to. Arthur and Alfred always jumped to attention when she did, but they were beginning to differentiate the difference between a 'need cry' and a just a 'cry to cry'. Yao told Arthur that some babies did that. They were testing their lungs and also measuring the extent to which their parents would come running.<p>

When the week was over, Arthur felt a strange mixture of fear and relief at leaving the planet. He would get to see his pack again but at the same time he was worried at how they would take to his daughter. Alfred told Arthur to hang onto Amelia the whole time and sat extremely close to them. Arthur sensed that Alfred was acting different, but it wasn't until they arrived back to where they lived with their pack did he see it in action. His friends wouldn't approach closer than three feet away but when the children did, Alfred growled softly and pulled Arthur and Amelia to him protectively.

"Alfred!" Arthur reprimanded, shocked that the child-loving Alfred would growl at his nephews.

"What?" Alfred asked, confused at Arthur's tone as the children were pulled back.

"No, it's alright Arthur." Matthew said. "He's just protecting you guys."

"That's no reason to be mean!" Arthur said and glared at Alfred a little. Alfred pouted, not understanding Arthur's annoyance still. He hadn't done anything wrong.

* * *

><p>Even though they were back with their pack, Alfred wouldn't allow Arthur or Amelia to get very close to them. They sat a certain distance away so that they were close enough to talk and such, but not necessarily be part of the group. Arthur didn't understand why they were doing that. They were a pack, were they not? And Alfred was the leader. Why was he acting that way? After a few hours, Arthur grew annoyed of it and handed Amelia to Alfred and stood.<p>

"Where are you going?" Alfred asked, alert.

"I'm going to sit with everyone." Arthur stated, glaring a little at Alfred. He was being stupid. Alfred stood to follow but as soon as Arthur got close to the pack he stopped and backed up a little before sitting. He whined softly and curled in on his daughter, looking distraught. Arthur firmly ignored him with some difficulty.

"What are you doing over here?" Nicole asked, shocked to see Arthur approach. The others were just as shocked.

"I can't come to see my friends?" Arthur demanded.

"But your daughter!" Matthew said. "What about her?"

"Nothing will happen to her while I'm near you lot. She's only a few feet away. Speaking of which, what is wrong with Alfred?"

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Are you slow in the head?" He asked. Arthur scowled at him. "Obviously he's being a good parent. Don't you remember how Kiku and Nicole acted when they came back with Akane?"

Arthur froze. "Is…is _that_ what Alfred's doing?"

"Yes, Arthur. He's just going through that phase." Kiku confirmed.

"I guess that's another instinct that humans don't have that Hetalians do. They don't protect their newborns like that." Nicole mused. Arthur ignored her and looked over at Alfred. His mate was watching him with a pitiful look on his face, as if he had been rejected. Arthur's heart clenched painfully.

"You should hurry over, Arthur. I'm guessing Alfred's feeling like you prefer us right now over your new family." Matthew said.

"I'd feel that way if Matt did that." Gilbert agreed.

"Don't worry about us, Uncle Arthur." Zack said in perfect English. They had become more skilled in speaking it.

"We'll be fine." Nicole said. Arthur nodded and got up to go back over to Alfred and Amelia.

"Artie…" Alfred whimpered. He looked pathetic, but Arthur assumed they were left over hormones from the pregnancy. Arthur kissed him once.

"Sorry, love. I had forgotten that this is completely normal for you lot. Forgive me." He kissed him again and Alfred pressed back just as hard to show that he was forgiven. Arthur went along with Alfred's protectiveness for the rest of the week. During that time he realized that Alfred wasn't only being protective of Amelia but Arthur as well. Arthur sighed. He felt that he still had a lot to learn about Hetalians.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry if this chapter is a little bit boring. I can't help but feel like it is…it's too slow…Oh well. Next chapter might be more interesting.**


	11. Hair

**Hair**

After that first week back from the birthing planet Alfred's need to overprotect decreased greatly but was still very much there. He watched over Amelia like a hawk and made sure that the other children of the pack –namely Zack and Roger, being the eldest and roughest of the bunch- didn't harm her in any way. It didn't seem to be a problem, though, as Zack seemed to take a liking to Amelia immediately and helped played with her gently. The kids seemed more than happy to have a new playmate. Amelia was beginning to crawl, but she wasn't going too far anytime soon. She only could move a foot while crawling before she collapsed onto her stomach and wiggled instead. Akane was already crawling and occasionally stumbling to his feet before falling back down. He had actually already started practicing transformations and could already turn into two things completely. He often shared toys with Amelia, but Zack was the one who tended to be her major playmate. He stayed by or nearby her often. Roger preferred to sit with the adults, although he could be seen playing with the children half the time.

Arthur blinked open his eyes to look up at the treetops far above his head. The Starlight was blocked and created a nice shade despite the heat. It was the end of summer but autumn's chill hadn't set in yet. He looked down at his body to where his daughter lay on her stomach on his chest. Akane was lying in the crook of Arthur's arm. Zack had his head on Arthur's stomach with Amelia's foot pressed against his smoky hair (it had lightened up during the months to be closer to a smoke-colour) and Roger was lying cuddled against Arthur's leg, using it like a child would a teddy. Arthur softly stroked his fingers along the spine of his child and sighed contently before turning his head. He noticed Alfred and Matthew play-fighting with each other some ways away while Gilbert and Nicole cheered them on and Kiku watched while sipping what appeared to be tea. They were far enough away that Arthur could only just hear their shouts but close enough to keep an eye on Arthur and the children.

Arthur smiled and gently woke the children. Whenever he woke up from his sleep he knew that it was time for the children to do the same. Zack and Roger groaned and tried to go back to sleep, but Arthur didn't allow them as he sat up and removed himself from their grasps. Akane sat up and rubbed a tired eye, yawning with a tiny squeak. Arthur cradled Amelia in his arms as the girl slowly woke up and noticed that Akane was now Amelia's size. He had only grown about an inch. He frowned, wondering why if Akane was acting like he was already a number of months older than he truly was, why did he still look like he was a newborn? Zack and Roger had stopped growing and both at the moment looked to be about five. Arthur finally pushed the thought away and assumed that it was once again the strange growth of the Hetalians.

He climbed to his feet and the group joined the other parents. Alfred looked up from where he had Matthew pinned and his teeth on his brother's neck and lifted his head with a grin. "You're awake!"

"Good afternoon." Kiku greeted and opened his arms to allow Akane to crawl into his lap and blink slowly. Nicole kissed her child's forehead.

"You got pinned!" Zack said and laughed with Roger at seeing their papa on the ground.

"Well why don't you have a go at me, then?" Alfred challenged. "Let's see if you do better than Mattie!" Zack and Roger immediately took him up on the challenge and tackled Alfred together. "Hey, that's tag-teaming! Cheaters!"

"Too bad!" Roger taunted and the three wrestled. Matthew and Gilbert joined their friends on the ground to watch the fight. Gilbert looked over at Amelia and gently touched her head.

"Looks like she's got brown hair." He stated. Arthur looked down at his daughter and met her blue eyes with a smile before looking at her hair. It was indeed coming in dark –darker than Alfred's. Arthur frowned.

"But neither of us have brown hair." He objected.

"It's actually in our genes." Matthew told him. "Our dad has brown hair. It comes from his side."

"Oh, I see. It appears to be a strong gene with your children having it too."

"Yeah, but it'll lighten up. She'll probably have Al's color hair." Arthur felt slightly upset at the thought. His daughter hardly inherited anything from him. Except his eyebrows, he supposed. They were a wee bit thicker than a normal child's, but not nearly as thick as Arthur's. She also appeared to have his nose. Amelia cooed and pressed her tiny hands to his face. Arthur couldn't help but smile a little and kiss her hand. They were only somewhat bigger than his lips.

Alfred won the brawl after about ten minutes and the pack went down to the river to wash up. Alfred sat in the more shallow part of the river holding Amelia up by her stomach as she giggled and splashed. Zack was next to her splashing a tiny bit of water back at her and being careful under the child's watchful parents' eyes. There was a soft frown on Alfred's face. Arthur noticed.

"Something wrong, love?" He questioned.

"Well, Amelia should be crawling better than she is…" Alfred stated slowly. Arthur felt a bubble in his throat.

"Do you think something's wrong?" He asked.

"Well, I might be over-thinking it. I don't really know for a fact." He turned and grinned at Arthur. "Don't worry too much about it. She might be taking her sweet time." But Arthur did feel worried. He hoped that nothing was wrong with his child. He washed his body and looked over at one of the nearby crystal spires. He approached and looked at himself in the mirror. He felt that something was off about him, but he couldn't quite place it.

Nicole came up behind him and hugged him. Arthur turned bright red. "Checking yourself out, Arthur?" She teased.

Arthur wiggled out of her arms. She looked at him questioningly and he explained why he felt uncomfortable at the intimate feeling when they were only friends. She pouted but understood. Arthur could tell she was unhappy that she couldn't hug her friend. "I felt that something was…wrong with my reflection, although I couldn't place it." He answered her earlier question to change the topic.

"How so?" Nicole asked, looking at the reflection with him. "You don't look any different to me."

Arthur then understood. "Aha! That's what it is!" He turned to his friend. "Nothing has changed about me!"

She gave him a strange look. "You didn't eat any weird plants, did you?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, I didn't. I mean, it's been over three months since I've left Earth but my appearance hasn't changed at all!" He turned to the spire again, amazed.

"…So? Humans don't exactly change much physically in a few months."

"That's true, but my hair hasn't grown!" Arthur stated and tugged on his fringe to show her. Nicole's eyes widened.

"You're right!" She laughed and he did as well.

"What'd we miss?" Roger asked approaching as the others walked up the river to join them. They had finished their wash.

Arthur ruffled his hair and then pulled Alfred into a kiss which the alien happily reciprocated. "Nothing at all, boy. Just that I'm going to live longer than I had previously thought!" Alfred grinned and shifted Amelia into his one arm to pull Arthur into his other and kissed him passionately.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about." He told him as they broke apart.

"I suppose you are right."

* * *

><p>Later on in the evening the pack sat to watch the Star set over the horizon. Arthur was still giddy of his discovery as he leaned against Alfred and linked his hand with his. "I was thinking perhaps we could visit Peter sometime." He stated out of the blue, voicing his thoughts that he'd had for a while now. "I'd like him to know that he has a niece."<p>

"Earth?" Roger asked, perking up. "You mean when Uncle Arthur's from?"

"I wanna go!" Zack shouted. Amelia started from her place lying on the grass in front of him and started sniffling, on the brink of crying. "I'm sorry." He murmured and took up her hand before Arthur reached over to cradle her in his arms and hushed the child. She calmed down after a moment. Zack looked a little distraught but calmed down after his papa reassured him.

"I think it would be nice." Kiku agreed with Arthur.

"I really want to have some McDonald's and dark chocolate." Nicole stated.

"McDonald's _does_ sound good…" Alfred murmured and the pack looked to him. He met Arthur's look and Arthur silently hoped that he would say yes. "Well, we can't go yet."

"Why not?" Arthur asked.

"Well for two reasons: One, I have to get permission to use my ship and two, Amelia's too young. Remember what I said about diseases? She hasn't had vaccines and she's too young to take all of them and…yeah." He finished. Arthur understood and hugged his daughter a little closer to him. He didn't want to risk her life. He could wait.

"When she and Akane get to be about Zack and Roger's age and size then we can give them the vaccines and possibly go." Matthew stated. "I can get the recipe for the vaccines from Yao and make them."

"How long will all of that take?"

"A few months." Gilbert said.

"But by then we'll be working again…" Nicole said sadly. Arthur remembered that they worked from winter until the beginning of summer. He would have to wait practically a year. He felt disappointed. He had really wanted to go back to Earth, but if it was for the safety of his child and his pack, then he could wait. Alfred offered to take just the two of them –him and Arthur- but Arthur declined. Part of the reason he wanted to go back was to show off his daughter to Peter.

"Speaking of families," Matthew said, "we should really visit mom and dad soon, Al. They haven't seen our children yet."

Alfred smacked his forehead. "Oh dude, you're totally right! How could I forget? Oh man, mom's going to kill us!"

"Jeez, Alfred! It's been almost half a year!" Nicole scolded. "The last time we went to visit them was when Matthew was pregnant!" Arthur was left in a state of shock as they discussed the travel plans. He hadn't realized that Alfred and Matthew's might have still been alive. He had been absorbed into their own little world. He had actually forgotten that there were many, many other Hetalians on the planet. For that matter, were Kiku's parents alive? Nicole's? Gilbert's?

"Um…are all of your parents still alive?" He asked hesitantly, feeling foolish.

The group looked at him. "Well, actually Kiku's parents have already passed on." Nicole stated shyly. "And my daddy's passed on."

"My dad's still alive." Gilbert said.

Arthur was startled. Half of his pack's parents had lost their mates. He couldn't imagine the pain. Well, he had an idea, but he doubted that the pain of his mate temporarily leaving could compare. "But…why? You're all so young!"

"Actually, we're kind of old." Gilbert said with a laugh. "Matt and Al are the youngest. Kiku's the oldest."

"He's practically middle-aged!" Nicole added. Kiku flushed, uncomfortable with being called old.

"I'm next and then Nicole and then the twins here." Gilbert finished.

"I never knew." Arthur said.

"Anyway, we should go visit mom and dad tomorrow!" Alfred said. "And then we'll visit Nicole's mom and Gilbert's dad!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Gilbert agreed with a grin.

"I suggest turning in early." Kiku said. "It's become chilly." Arthur nodded in agreement, feeling much more chilled than the Hetalians with his body having less tolerance to the cold. They all gathered and walked inside and said good night to each other as they went to their separate floors.

"Oh, by the way Al." Matthew paused. "We should think about adding more rooms, you know?"

"Yeah, I was already thinking about it. We should work on it before winter comes." Alfred and Matthew nodded in agreement before they went their separate ways. Alfred and Arthur settled down together onto the bed and curled up together with Amelia between them. The little girl looked at her parents in wonder and Alfred chuckled at the sight. "G'night, Artie." He said, pecking his lover on the lips.

"Good night." Arthur closed his eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: For those of you who had been mentioning it, I had already planned for a chapter where they return to Earth, but it'll take a few more chapters for the reasons explained in the story. So yeah, Arthur meets the parents! :D**


	12. Parents

**Parents**

Arthur felt quite nervous upon waking up the next morning and walking outside with the pack. Alfred grinned widely and chattered mindlessly about how 'his parents would love Arthur' and 'oh shit, my mom's going to murder me'. The pack transformed into wolves, minus Alfred and Amelia. Even Akane managed it, but Nicole nudged him to turn back and he instead climbed onto Kiku's back and gripped his father's fur tightly. Akane wouldn't be able to run fast or long enough. Alfred turned into, not a horse this time, but a centaur. Arthur stared and Alfred chuckled.

"It's so that you can hang on instead of carrying Amelia. It's a long ride." He took his daughter up from Arthur then and Arthur climbed onto his back, hugging his chest.

"This is strange." He stated, feeling embarrassed and baffled at the strangeness of it all. He was on a horse, but he was hugging a human (Hetalian?) male chest. Gilbert, next to him, snorted with laughter and Alfred took off, leading his pack. He hadn't been kidding when he had said that it was going to be a long ride. It felt like they were travelling for many, many miles. Above them the atmosphere of the sky changed colours. The scenery around them did as well. Instead of the tall forests and plains Arthur was used to, the ground became somewhat rocky and appeared more mountainous. The rest of the pack transformed them into either horses or –in the twins' cases- birds. The children often took rests on the adults' shoulders or backs.

After what felt like an hour Alfred slowed to a stop as did the rest of the pack. They were by a river. Arthur climbed off with a groan and resisted the urge to fall to his knees, instead leaning against a rock. It was hard on his nether regions to ride so far and for so long on horse. He knew that he would feel sore tomorrow. He sat down and Alfred changed back to hand him Amelia as the others went to the water.

"What's wrong?" He asked with a small frown. Arthur looked away and didn't answer. Alfred scanned him over and noticed that when Arthur's legs twitched closer together the man winced. Alfred felt a lewd grin spread across his face. "You hurting down _here?_" He asked, teasingly running his hand up Arthur's inner thigh and Arthur's legs snapped shut with a glare. But that only trapped Alfred's hand right where he wanted it.

"Stop it." Arthur hissed. "Our pack's right there and I have our daughter!"

Alfred wiggled his fingers and caused Arthur's breath to hitch as his mate leaned in close to kiss his cheek. "Aw, you don't want me to make you feel better?"

"No! Now stop it!" Arthur tried to push Alfred's hand away without actually opening his legs but failed at it. "I don't want you to help me!" But Alfred knew Arthur was lying. He was enjoying it. _What a perv._ Alfred thought cheerfully.

"Mate-scent!" Gilbert called and looked over at the group as the others did as well. "Something naughty's going on with the pack leader and his mate!"

"What do you mean, vati?" Zack asked, not understanding.

"Shut up, you twat!" Arthur shouted at him and kicked Alfred away, blushing furiously as he climbed to his feet to go sit in the river. It was cold and cooled him off quickly. Amelia looked at him innocently, unaware of what had occurred between her parents. "Don't ever grow up to be like your father." Arthur murmured to her, giving her an 'Eskimo's kiss'. Amelia gurgled happily and giggled.

"Hey! I heard that!" Alfred yelled at him from where he was picking himself up from the ground where Arthur had kicked him. Arthur kissed his daughter's forehead and hummed, ignoring his mate.

After a few more minutes of rest they left again. Matthew informed him that that had been the halfway stop. They would be there in another hour. Arthur resisted groaning. He was going to feel terrible after that day. He glared slightly at the back of Alfred's head. "I can see that your sex drive is back." He muttered just loud enough for his mate to hear.

"Yup!" Alfred agreed easily. Arthur glared feeling embarrassed for his stupid mate. But inside he felt a little pleased. It had been a long time since the two of them had mated.

* * *

><p>Alfred's parents lived near the beach, apparently. The ocean was a deep purple-blue and the Starlight struck the waves and temporarily blinded Arthur. He climbed off of Alfred and took his daughter, holding her close in his anxiety. Alfred and the others changed back. "I'll go find them!" Matthew announced and ran off, appearing excited.<p>

"Nervous about meeting the parents?" Gilbert asked.

"Maybe a bit." Arthur admitted.

"Well it can't go any worse than it did for Gilbert." Nicole said, with a giggle. Arthur raised an eyebrow in confusion and was about to ask what she meant when a loud, "Alfred F. Jones!" was shouted angrily. They all jumped in the air and for once Amelia didn't burst into tears at a shout. She looked too petrified. Alfred looked that way along with her. Arthur turned to see three people approach. One was Matthew, looking a little nervous himself, and then there were two obviously older people. They appeared to be Arthur's age. One was Alfred's height and had light brown hair and blue eyes similar to Alfred's. Arthur could tell that it was their father. The last person was dark-skinned and had long black hair that half covered her chest and extended to her waist. They looked like they were of Native American decent, which startled Arthur. There weren't many Hetalians he had seen with darker skin. It was this person who had yelled at Alfred.

"How dare you take so long to come visit!" Alfred's mother said. Arthur felt that there was something strange about her but couldn't place it yet. "It's been months! I thought I told you after you came home after _years_ of being away to visit more often!"

Alfred rubbed the back of his head as Gilbert and Nicole stifled snickers and Kiku covered his mouth, appearing amused. "Sorry, mom. I kinda got caught up in a lot of stuff."

"What kind of stuff would stop you from visiting us?" She demanded. Alfred grabbed a hold of Arthur and bodily moved him in between the family members, startling his mate's mother.

"Mom, this is my mate Arthur and our daughter Amelia." Alfred grinned, wrapping his arms around Arthur's waist and resting his chin on Arthur's shoulder to look at his parents. His mother and father seemed stunned. Arthur shifted Amelia so that she was partially lying on his shoulder and held her with one arm while he held out his hand to his parents-in-law.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Arthur Kirkland." Arthur hoped desperately that he was understandable. He knew that he at least said the latter sentence in correct Hetalian at least.

The parents looked slightly confused as they looked at each other and then at Arthur and then at the child in Arthur's arms. Amelia lifted her head to glance at her grandparents behind her before giving up and waving her arms at Alfred. Alfred took her from Arthur's arms and nuzzled her a little. The parents took the chance to look Arthur fully over, walking around him. Arthur flushed and tensed at the scrutiny.

"You're a human?" Alfred's father spoke for the first time.

"Yes." Arthur replied.

"You're the one who broke our Alfred's heart by not coming here sooner?" Alfred's mother demanded, crossing her arms. Arthur didn't understand and looked to his friends for a translation. Nicole was practically on the ground, hunched over in suppressed laughter. She seemed to be enjoying Arthur's pain. Alfred turned red at whatever his mother said.

"Mom, stop it! He didn't break my heart! If anything it was the other way around!" He told her.

"But he's the one who stayed." She replied, looking annoyed.

"Lay off, man. It doesn't matter because he's here now and look! We have a child!" Arthur was completely lost on the conversation and cursed his lack of language skills. This was why he lived in countries that spoke English. Alfred held out Amelia to his parents and his father took her. The two crowded in on their granddaughter and the little girl giggled.

"She's adorable!" Alfred's mother announced and scooped the girl up to cuddle her.

"You had her with Arthur already?" The father asked.

"Yeah, during my first heat too!" Alfred laughed. "I think humans are a lot more fertile than we are!"

"So you're the mother?"

"Well, I gave birth, but Artie's definitely the mother." Alfred laughed and Nicole couldn't hold it in any longer as she and Gilbert collapsed in a fit of giggles and Kiku and Matthew chuckled together.

"What am I missing?" Arthur asked desperately, not understanding the fast dialogue.

"Not much. They love our daughter." Alfred said and kissed his mate's forehead. He secretly shot a wink at his friends.

"It's nice to meet you, Arthur." Alfred's father finally grasped Arthur's hand and shook it. "My name is Keyon."

Arthur was relieved to finally understand something. "And I'm Susanoo." Alfred's mother said and placed Amelia into Alfred's arms before pulling Arthur into a hug. Arthur bit back a squeak as he realized just what was off about Alfred's mother. She was a male. He hadn't even noticed, having become too used to seeing others naked that he didn't even bother to look at bodies any longer. He felt ridiculous for not noticing earlier.

The time went by easily after that. Arthur discovered exactly why Gilbert's "meeting with the parents went bad" as he had made the mistake of calling Susanoo a girl because of his long hair and promptly pissed off Matthew's mom. Susanoo still didn't like Gilbert very much at all, but he adored each one of the grandchildren, coddling them and spinning each around. Arthur saw where Alfred got his hyperactivity from. Matthew seemed to inherit his father's attitude more. Arthur preferred Keyon. He didn't speak all that much, but he seemed extremely kind.

Later on they were joined by the rest of Susanoo's pack (he was the leader, apparently). They consisted of Nicole's mother (who was actually a male as well), Gilbert's father, and the Italian twins' grandfather. Arthur was shocked to find out that the young man who –because Arthur for the life or him couldn't pronounce his name- was called Rome turned out to be actually very elderly. He was nearly twice Alfred's age and Gilbert's father (named Germania. Arthur had a feeling that everyone here had strange names) was very nearly as old. But they both didn't look older than their late twenties. _Eternal youth_, Arthur mused, _must certainly exist here._ Although they weren't officially mates, Rome and Germania appeared to be almost dating, although Germania denied it.

There was a sixth person as well, a young blonde girl who appeared to be about fifteen. Everyone of Alfred's pack was surprised. "Who's this?" Nicole asked, happy to see another girl. The girl had short boy-cropped blonde hair with blue eyes and seemed shy but had a strong attitude, Arthur could sense.

"This is Jeanne." Rome said, wrapping his arms around her. The girl blushed and escaped his hold, appearing slightly annoyed. "I found her wandering without a pack and decided to chat her up because she's a pretty young girl and she said her parents died so I asked her to join our pack and she said yes!" Alfred translated for Arthur to understand and Arthur gave him a thankful look.

Gilbert laughed. "Isn't she young to be hanging out with a bunch of old people?" He was struck on the back of the head by his father. "OW! Vati!" He whined. Zack and Roger snickered and Gilbert glared at them.

"I appreciate them allowing me to join them." Jeanne said sincerely. "I was so unsure of what to do by myself." Arthur felt charmed by her but reluctant to like her, for whatever reason. Perhaps it was her personality. He couldn't quite place it but he didn't push it.

* * *

><p>The next day was also spent with the parents as Arthur and the children got to know them more. Arthur was happy to be accepted, although Susanoo seemed to hold a certain displeasure towards him. He couldn't understand what it was about, though. He looked to Alfred for help.<p>

Alfred shrugged. "My mom's weird. He just is like that." Arthur brushed it off but he wondered if he had done something to offend his mother-in-law.

"Alfred, I've been meaning to ask, but shouldn't Amelia be crawling more than how she is?" Keyon asked at some point during lunch on the third day of being there. The pack had separated so that they were sitting with their respective parents and grandparents with Gilbert and Matthew eating with Germania and the grandchildren and Kiku and Nicole sitting with Akane, Rome, Nicole's mother, and Jeanne.

"You think so too?" Alfred said, setting his burger down. "I was thinking about that…"

"What?" Arthur asked, not understanding.

"Dad thinks that Amelia should be crawling more too." Alfred told him and they looked at Amelia who was lying on her tummy playing with a butterfly on her hand. The butterfly landed on her nose after she rolled onto her back and she squealed joyfully.

Arthur frowned and placed his cup down to turn to kneel. "Amelia." He called. The little girl looked at him. She recognized her name and little things that were obviously advanced for a normal human child. She knew what to play with and how not to go into deep water without help of an adult. "Come here." He told her, motioning her towards him. Amelia stared and turned to wiggle towards him but Alfred climbed to his feet and picked her up to place her on her hands and knees.

"Go to mommy." He told her in Hetalian. Amelia watched him, not understanding. Alfred pointed at Arthur. "Mommy." He said and grinned encouragingly. Amelia looked down at the ground and struggled a little to stay on her hands and knees but looked determined. She moved forward some, but fell. She whined when Alfred tried to help her up and did it herself, appearing even more determined. Arthur smiled at his daughter's efforts, proud of her stubbornness. The little girl, after two more falls, finally made it and Arthur pulled her into his arms and cheered for her. Alfred and the grandparents joined in, congratulating the girl and kissing her on the head. The girl looked happy at all of the attention.

"Now let's see her transform!" Susanoo said.

Alfred looked at her in surprise. "She can't."

"What do you mean?" His mother asked, surprised.

"Well, she hasn't tried. Isn't she a little young?"

"How old is she?"

"A little over three weeks now."

"That's plenty of time. You should start practicing with her. She should at least be able to change a body part." His mother nodded. Alfred told Arthur what they had talked about.

"Do you want to try?" Arthur asked Alfred.

"Sure?" He shrugged and Arthur placed Amelia on the ground. Alfred attracted her attention. "Copy daddy." He instructed once. He repeated it one more time before slowly morphing into a wolf. Amelia stared. Alfred waited a minute and then slowly turned back into a human. "Copy…daddy." He repeated and transformed back into a wolf, this time waiting.

Amelia sat up on her bottom and stared at him while Arthur and the grandparents watched her. After a moment her eyes scrunched up in concentration. Arthur was surprised by this, not thinking that she would actually understand Alfred. She waved her arms in frustration and whined slightly before Arthur saw the beginnings of ears and a tail poke out from her body.

"That's it!" Arthur encouraged. "Go on, darling." Amelia huffed a little before finally a tail about half the length of her body formed and wolf ears poked out of the top of her head. She appeared to keep trying but eventually gave up and pouted. Arthur cooed and took her into his arms anyway. "That's perfect, Amelia!" He kissed her cheek as Alfred nuzzled his head against the two of them.

"She's so smart!" Susanoo congratulated. "I didn't think she could grow a full tail!" Amelia's tail flicked and she looked fascinated with it. She giggled as it brushed against her legs and bottom and squealed happily. Arthur chuckled with her.

"Alright, watch daddy." He told her and turned her back to face Alfred. "Copy daddy." He said and Amelia watched as Alfred slowly changed back to normal. This time she didn't need to study long and scrunched her eyes up in concentration. Alfred amusedly thought she looked like she was trying to poop. After five minutes of waiting and no change the girl stopped and whimpered, looking sad at her failure. Alfred and his parents frowned. Arthur comforted her. "It's alright, darling. It's your first try." But then he caught Alfred and his parents murmuring to each other. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

Alfred looked slightly disturbed. "…Well…turning back to normal is a lot easier than turning into something else…" He said hesitantly. Arthur's fear spiked.

"What are you saying?"

"Amelia, watch daddy." Alfred ignored his mate and turned first into a wolf quickly and then slowly changed back. "Copy daddy." Amelia tried and another five minutes passed. She failed again. Alfred was distressed now. "Mattie!" He called and Arthur's heart rate skyrocketed in fear. Was there something wrong with his daughter? The rest of the two packs rushed over.

"What's wrong?" Matthew asked.

"Amelia can't change back to normal!" Alfred told him. Amelia began whimpering, afraid of why her mommy and daddy were acting strangely. Matthew picked the child up and looked her over, touching her body in a couple places and checking her eyes and such. Zack tapped his leg.

"Will she be alright?" He asked in worry.

"She looks completely healthy." Matthew said. "But she should automatically change back to normal…" He sounded nervous.

"What's wrong with her?" Arthur demanded, standing.

"She's normal!" Matthew insisted.

"Obviously she's not! She can't change back!"

Amelia burst into tears now, wailing at her mother's yelling. "Calm down, Artie!" Alfred said and took his daughter to comfort. "You're scaring her!"

"She's scaring me!" Arthur said, fear coursing through him. "What's wrong with my daughter?" He demanded.

"Nothing is!" Matthew insisted again.

"Maybe," Kiku spoke up amongst the loud speak and they quieted down to hear him. Amelia was back to sniffling and whimpering, "this may be caused by her blood only being half Hetalian." He suggested.

"What do you mean?" Nicole asked.

"I mean, maybe Arthur's human blood has hindered her ability to transform."

"So what do you think, then? Do you think she won't be able to change back?" Alfred asked as Gilbert and Matthew translated for the other adults who didn't understand English.

"Yes, but it's just an idea. She's still young so there's a chance that will change."

Arthur and Alfred looked at Amelia with her brown hair, bright blue eyes, wolf ears, and wolf tail. Would she be stuck with the animal parts? Arthur feared for her future. He kissed her cheek and promised himself that he would make sure that she would have a good future no matter what.


	13. Growth

**Growth**

The months passed after the initial discovery that Arthur's human blood had hindered Amelia's transformation process and during that time it became obvious that Amelia was never going to become good at transforming. Her wolf parts never went away even as she became older and the most she could alter her body was only one body part at most. And even then she could get rid of them. The ears and tail had become permanent extensions of her body. On the plus side, it increased her hearing.

But Alfred began to fret incessantly as he noticed other problems with Amelia. She was hardly growing physically. After about the first month a child was supposed to hit their growth spurt and start growing rapidly physically like Zack and Roger had. Akane had done this and now was bigger than Amelia by half a foot now. He looked about three. Amelia hardly grew at all. She looked maybe one year old. Alfred worried, afraid for his daughter.

"Artie!" Alfred cried one day, his worry hitting a maximum and ran over to grab Arthur's shoulders. "Artie, are humans like that?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow, far too used to Alfred's eccentricities to freak out like he used to. He had been with him for about half a year already after all. "What are you on about?" He asked.

"Amelia! Do humans grow like that? Because she should look almost like Akane by now!" Alfred shook Arthur a little in his fear. Arthur smacked his hands away, irritated with the shaking.

"Alfred, if you went by human standards than Amelia shouldn't even look as old as she does now, let alone be even walking." Amelia had started toddling around, although she wasn't very good at it. It was her pure stubbornness that kept her trying and Arthur felt that if she didn't have that determination than he doubted that she would be past the barely-crawling stage. "She shouldn't be able to go very far at all."

Alfred relaxed a little at that. "So she's okay?"

Matthew, who was nearby, gave an exasperated sigh. "Al, I already told you a million times: Amelia is completely normal and healthy. She just must be physically delayed because of her human blood." Arthur felt irked that he was the fault for Amelia's problems. He couldn't help his human blood. He glanced at his daughter where she was playing with the boys, who were encouraging her to stand and try to walk. He felt a pang of guilt and regret. His daughter was abnormal and it was his fault. He denied Alfred a normal family. His pessimistic side kicked into full gear.

Alfred seemed to notice his mate's distress and pulled Arthur's arms to wrap around his neck and pull their bodies together. Arthur resisted the heat that ran through his body. His body would never grow tired of Alfred's. "What's wrong?" Alfred murmured softly, having a tender moment. Arthur couldn't help but relax ever so slightly because of the tone but it spiked again as he led Alfred to a slightly more secluded area. He didn't want the others to overhear his fears.

"Alfred, do you regret having me as your mate?" He asked slowly and quietly, already guessing what his mate's answer would be. It wasn't the first time he had asked the question, after all.

Alfred let out a little huff. "Jeez, how many times do I have to tell you before you feel secure with our relationship?" He demanded and pulled Arthur into a tight kiss. Arthur's eyes fell closed and he was pushed back against a smooth tree as his mouth opened for Alfred to invade. Arthur sighed into his mouth, his hand gripping the back of Alfred's head as their tongues moved together. After about a minute Arthur needed air and Alfred pulled away exactly in time having known Arthur's lung capacity for a long time. He kissed his cheeks, eyes, nose, forehead, and once again his lips before whispering, "I love you, Arthur, and I'll never regret choosing you for my mate. Stop asking and just accept that you can never get rid of me." He smiled at his joke, his forehead pressed to Arthur's.

Arthur cupped his mate's cheek. "I only ask because…I've denied you a normal child…" He said quietly. He glanced away shamefully.

"You have? When?" Arthur looked at him and Alfred chuckled. "Artie, Amelia may be a little bit different because you're a human, but that doesn't matter. Other than her growth, she's a normal child." Alfred was amused that not five minutes ago _he_ had been the one freaking out about Amelia's lack of growth and now here he was comforting Arthur instead. He felt a little bad. He was sure his fears had triggered Arthur's own. Arthur was reassured now, though.

Alfred was right and so was Matthew. Amelia, besides the physical lack of growth, was cognitively growing correctly if slightly slower. She hadn't spoken yet but instead took in her surroundings. But the pack understood that she was just as smart –and maybe more so than- as the other children. She wasn't being taught the language like Akane and Zack and Roger were because she didn't speak, but that didn't stop Alfred and Arthur from going back and forth between teaching her English and Hetalian. She could solve puzzles and if a question was asked of her –such as "Where is Akane?"- she could point in the right direction. She reacted like any normal Hetalian child. On top of that, she was fully trained to not use a diaper anymore (although Arthur felt strange at letting his daughter run around naked with a bunch of boys. His parental instincts rejected it).

It was in her nearing fourth month of life and the scenery changed dramatically to autumn with deep blues and light reds on the trees. The temperature dropped and it was a common scene to see Arthur sitting in Alfred's lap while the man warmed him willingly. It was during this time did Amelia startle her parents one day by toddling up to them and sitting down next to them. She looked up at them and Arthur smiled. "What is it, darling?" He asked.

"Mummy, can we have a snack now?" She spoke in perfect English (she had a light English accent), leaving her parents and the whole rest of the pack floored.

"M-mummy?" Arthur murmured, stunned.

Alfred beamed and scooped his daughter up into his arms to spin her around. "You little brat, when did you learn to speak?"

Amelia squealed and giggled at the treatment, her tail wagging as she was placed back on the ground. "I've been able to!" She announced.

"Why didn't you speak before?" Zack asked, hugging her. Roger ran up behind her as well and hugged her too. Akane gave her a softer hug.

She shrugged. "Didn't wanna."

Nicole glared playfully at Alfred. "Looks like she speaks like her daddy." Alfred laughed with Gilbert.

Amelia smiled but turned to Arthur and patted his leg to snap him out of his trance. "But mummy, snack?"

"Wha-Amelia, darling, I'm not your mummy. I'm your daddy." Arthur protested, smiling awkwardly. Nicole and Gilbert were covering their mouths along with Alfred trying desperately to hide their giggles. They knew what was going to happen.

Amelia looked confused and pointed to Arthur, "Mummy," and then to Alfred, "Daddy?"

"That's right, Amelia!" Gilbert said. "You've got it!"

Arthur shot a glare over his shoulder at him. "No, darling. We're both your daddies." Amelia looked completely lost.

"But daddy said you're mummy." She smiled then. "So you mummy!" Arthur gaped and then jumped to his feet, turning to Alfred.

"_Alfred F. Jones!"_ He growled furiously. Alfred had made sure –somehow!- to make his only child call him _mummy_!

"I think you should run, Al." Matthew said.

"That would be wise." Kiku agreed.

Alfred grinned, waved, and took off at full speed with Arthur chasing after him screaming colourful curse words that had the rest of the pack covering the children's ears. "Come on, kids. Let's go eat." Nicole suggested and they herded the children inside for their lunch.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later Alfred returned with a sleeping Arthur in tow –Alfred sporting two black eyes and a swollen cheek. Arthur must have passed out on the way back. The children were asleep as well and Alfred placed Arthur with them. They all instinctively moved closer to him, cuddling against him with comforted looks on their faces. Arthur had become the children's "teddy" to sleep with.<p>

His pack burst out laughing (or chuckled softly in Kiku's case) upon seeing Alfred. "Holy shit, you look like shit!" Gilbert tactfully declared, tears in his eyes.

"Was it worth it?" Nicole added, hunched over with laughter.

Alfred gave them a thumbs up and grinned. "To have Amelia forever call Artie her mommy? Totally."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I have to keep reminding myself that these are supposed to be short…XD**


	14. Erogenous

**A/N: Okay, self, I will get this ONE CHAPTER DONE AND POSTED and then you WILL do your homework, you hear me? DO YOU? Good! Now finish this and do your homework! DX It's due TOMORROW!**

**UKUS action**

* * *

><p><strong>Erogenous<strong>

Arthur didn't say exactly what Alfred did to piss him off, but Alfred made him angry. He wanted to make him pay for it. Alfred had no idea what he had done but that Arthur was now firmly ignoring him and glared at him whenever he got close or talked to him. Alfred shrugged it off, thinking that Arthur would get over it. But Arthur didn't get over it. At least, not without revenge. And that's how they ended up where they were now.

Arthur had Alfred completely pinned and bound to a crystal spire using a thick vine. Alfred gaped, unsure of when this had happened, how, and why. Arthur smirked, standing towering over him, having Alfred to have to look up at him. The pack had been warned previously to keep its distance if they didn't want to be punished as well. Alfred frowned, worried.

"Uh…Artie? Haha, is there a reason I'm tied up?"

Arthur leaned into his face and glared. "I'm going to get my revenge." He stated.

Alfred gaped again. "For what?"

"You should know, you twit. Now, shall we begin?" Alfred didn't know what Arthur was going to do as Arthur reached forward and he closed his eyes expecting either a hit or a soft touch to the cheek. It was neither however as Arthur instead went straight for Alfred's hair and gripped his cowlick. Alfred's eyes flew open and he gasped.

"No! Don't touch that!" He cried, struggling, but the struggling only made his hair get tugged more and he groaned and held still, his body trembling a little. He cursed that he was becoming hard already.

Arthur smirked, glad that he had remembered his little discovery about Alfred from Earth even though it was many years ago. "Not a chance, love." He instead brought his face close and licked the strand –for curiosity's sake- from base to tip. Alfred arched and cried out, his fingers curling into fists at his sides and trying to arch. Arthur repeated the action before taking the cowlick into his mouth and sucking. Alfred's body trembled and he felt saliva at the corner of his mouth as he huffed to maintain himself. His body was responding unwillingly. He hated when people touched that lock. It didn't feel nearly as satisfying when the same reaction could come from touching his cock.

"Arthur~!" He groaned, kicking his legs some and trying to lift his hips. Sweat formed on his face. "N-no! Stop it…I don't want this!"

Arthur pulled away from the lock, leaving it damp with saliva and licking his lips. Alfred half sighed/half groaned in a mixture of relief and despair. "It's what you deserve."

"What did I _do?_" Alfred demanded.

Arthur scowled and grabbed the back of Alfred's head to pull him closer to his face. "It's what you didn't do, Alfred. Last night, do you recall how we mated?"

"Of course!" Alfred didn't forget one instance in which he and Arthur mated.

"Yes, well, right after _you_ finished up you pulled out and fell directly asleep." Arthur growled.

Alfred recalled that some. "Yeah, and?" Arthur yanked on the strand and Alfred yelped in pain and pleasure.

"You. Didn't. Let. Me. Finish." He emphasized each word with a stroke of the strand. Alfred was left trembling wantonly; wanting nothing more than Arthur's lips or for Arthur to just _please touch him_. "I was left to finish myself off all because of your lazy arse!" He fingered the cowlick and Alfred whimpered, his cock already stiff and aching to be touched. Arthur continued to neglect it, however. "Now I want payback."

"Please, Artie stop!" Alfred said, his legs squeezing together in an attempt to get himself off. Arthur would have none of it, though. He used his own legs to separate Alfred's and kept them wide apart. Alfred groaned unhappily. "I can't take this!" It was torture.

"Tough shit." Arthur leaned forward to huff into Alfred's ear, using his free hand to touch himself. Seeing Alfred beg and moan like that had really turned him on. Alfred felt tears in his eyes. He didn't want to finish like this. He wanted Arthur but Arthur's breath in his ear, the ministrations on his erogenous zone, and the sight of Arthur touching himself was becoming too much. He tried to shut his legs, but Arthur refused to let him. He sobbed once.

"Please, Artie. I'm sorry! I'll make you come as many times as you want but _please_ just fucking touch me!" He begged. His hands dug into the ground in frustration. Arthur pulled away and looked at him. Alfred stared back, pleading with his eyes. Arthur glanced down at Alfred's needy member. He knew that his mate was already close. He could just finish him up, but despite his need for revenge, his libido was calling for something different.

He smirked and using a sharp rock, sliced through the vines. Alfred fell forward and Arthur grabbed him and shoved him onto his stomach in the grass. He lifted Alfred's hips into the air and leaned on his body as he positioned himself at his mate's entrance. "I'll show you how to please someone, Alfred." He whispered directly into Alfred's ear and licked the shell as he pushed in. Alfred cried out and cringed in pain, but didn't mind so much. He took all of Arthur into him and sighed, his eyes wet. Arthur kissed the skin between his shoulder blades and began to move against him slowly at first –agonizingly slow- and reached under Alfred to grip his member. Alfred gasped and looked over his shoulder. Arthur smirked and began to stroke Alfred in time to his thrusts as he began to speed up.

Shivers of pleasure ran up and down Alfred's spine at the touch and increased more so as Arthur wrapped his lips around the cowlick. Alfred clawed the ground. "Oh god –oh shit, Arthur!" He screamed. "More! Deeper!" He sobbed a little, the overstimulation overwhelming him. Arthur complied and sped up, going as deep as he possibly could with most of his thrusts. Alfred moved against him desperately, needing his release. His back arched up and he tore up the grass and felt the oh-so-tight bundle in his stomach tighten to a maximum.

Arthur chose then to pull out and flip Alfred onto his back and lift his thighs. "Let me see your face." Arthur said and kissed his lover's cheek before fully engulfing himself into his heat. Alfred's hands clawed at Arthur's back and he pulled the man as close as possible to his body. He wanted Arthur to be one with him.

"Ung! Ar-Arthur! Oh god, I'm gonna –_ah!"_ He didn't finish his sentence as the coil burst and he clung to his mate screaming as he reached his climax. Arthur's eyes squeezed shut then, close to his end. Alfred's body –not nearly as used to being used in such a way- was unbelievably tight and it pulled him to the brink, coaxing his end. He gasped loudly and shuddered as he came crying out Alfred's name as his lover's body milked him. After the last few thrusts he pulled out and let his forehead fall onto Alfred's chest as they both gasped.

Alfred had collapsed with his eyes closed and Arthur lifted his head, feeling satisfied. He grabbed Alfred's chin and forced the man to look at him. "I hope you've learnt your lesson. I plan on giving you a test on it very soon."

Alfred pulled him into a strong kiss, forcing their lips apart and dominating Arthur's mouth before pulling away murmuring. "Make you come first. Got it."

Arthur slapped his cheek lightly with a frown. "That wasn't the lesson. The lesson was to make sure both partners finish before you pull out, nitwit."

"Alright, I get it." Alfred pouted and pulled Arthur down on top of his body, easily supporting his lover's weight. Arthur kissed his cheek and allowed the cuddling. Alfred thought to himself _Next time, no mating right before bedtime…it'll lead to torture._

The masochistic side of him was already planning the next time this situation would occur.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Fuck homework it's too late. OTL TT~TT**

**Haha, you guys didn't think I'd make Alfie's cowlick sensitive and _not_ have Arthur take advantage of it, did you? CB  
><strong>

**I picture Alfred to be more of an S than and M, but when it comes to Arthur's S side (because I picture him as more of an M depending on the situation) Alfred usually either becomes the 'tsundere M' or just completely foregoes the whole idea only to be forced by Arthur in the end. *shrugs* Head-canon.**


	15. Pondering

**Pondering**

Arthur was in his bed not quite asleep yet with Alfred curled half on him and half off –the lower portion of his mate strewn across his legs and his torso and up were on the bed next to Arthur. Alfred was sleeping on his stomach and soft snores could be heard from him every now and again. Recently new rooms had been added to the floors to accommodate the additions to the pack and so all of the children slept in their own rooms. Arthur was still awake for no logical reason. He assumed it was because he had slept too much during his midday slumber. And so Arthur was left to muse to himself, not finding anything better to do and knowing that Alfred would be a pain in the ass to move.

Arthur thought about Earth for the first time in a number of months. He thought back to when he was still a teacher at the high school and wondered what those kids who he had taught were doing now. How much time in Earth time had passed? Arthur calculated about a year and a half. His heart was startled at the thought and couldn't quite believe it himself. It didn't feel nearly that long and yet as he thought about how long the days and nights were on Hetalia he came to understand that maybe it _was_ a long time.

Arthur felt Alfred shift and whine a little. He looked at his mate. There was a frown and a furrowed brow on Alfred's face as his body shifted off of Arthur's and into a straighter position. Even so the face remained, as if he was trying to remember something but couldn't. Arthur smiled and ran his hand into Alfred's hair to stroke it. Alfred's face instantly relaxed and his face bent upward to make Arthur's hand rest on his cheek before he relaxed and began softly snoring again.

Arthur softly ran his thumb over Alfred's cheekbone and remembered the days he taught the boy. He felt his face heat up as he remembered how Alfred had sucked him off on Francis's desk (when Arthur bragged to Francis about it one day during the eight year period Alfred had been gone, Francis had been horrified) and rubbed himself absently before pushing the thought away. He didn't want to have to wake up Alfred so that he could have a rut with him (although he was sure Alfred wouldn't mind in the least –he was still a little wary of Arthur after the little ahoge incident). He let his thoughts instead drift even further back before he'd even discovered that his students were aliens and before the whole alien mess began.

It had been a simple, unremarkable day when Alfred had raised his hand during the middle of class. Arthur was quite bored and paused his lecture to answer Alfred's question. "Can I go to the bathroom, Mr. K?"

Arthur was annoyed by the shortening of his name and felt like being a smartass. "I don't know. _Can _you go to the bathroom, Mr. Jones?"

The correct answer to the sarcastic response was the student correcting himself and saying, "_May_ I use the bathroom, Mr. Kirkland?" However Alfred stood up and said, "Yes." He then grabbed the pass and walked out of the door as the rest of the class laughed. Arthur had boiled and felt the need to hit the boy for how he acted. He considered giving instead a detention but Francis had convinced him otherwise saying it was all in good fun and they had needed a laugh. Alfred had come back unpunished.

As Arthur remembered that certain incident he felt the aggravation of the action well up in him and in response to it he punched Alfred hard in the ribs. Alfred cried out, "OW!" and fell off of the bed. He sat up and glared at Arthur. "What the hell, man! What the actual hell!"

"Next time ask correctly if you can use the restroom, you blasted fool." Arthur stated before grabbing the covers and curling up on his side. He felt that he could fall asleep now. Alfred was left baffled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'll come out with a longer chapter probably later on today (no promises) but I felt the need to throw this in there. Arthur holds a grudge. XDD**


	16. Work

**A/N: Grr…Creativity, where have you gone DDDDDB  
>Oh well. This'll be kind of a long chapter.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Work<strong>

Arthur awoke from his slumber to the shifting of his mate and blinked open his eyes. He frowned as he felt his internal clock telling him it wasn't time to wake up yet. He tightened his grip on Alfred and refused to let him up as he snuggled his face back into his mate's hair. Alfred groaned softly and buried his face under Arthur's chin and into his neck. Arthur had almost fallen back asleep when Alfred sighed and said, "We have to wake up, Artie."

"Why?" Arthur murmured back, refusing to move from his position. Alfred was warm in his arms and his body felt completely relaxed. He loved the moment of just waking up and finding Alfred still holding him. "It's not time to wake up yet."

Alfred lifted his head up and pushed Arthur onto his back, kneeling over him. He pressed his lips to his lover's and opened his mouth. Arthur groaned softly, trying to push Alfred off, but eventually gave up after Alfred persisted and submitted, wrapping his arms around Alfred's neck and meeting his tongue in a greeting. After slowly making out with each other they pulled away from each other. Arthur huffed, already feeling horny.

"Time to wake up." Alfred smiled slyly and ran his hands down Arthur's sides to reach his hips. Arthur decided to accept his fate and wrapped his legs around Alfred's waist.

"Good lord, Alfred." Arthur heaved as he lay strewn on his and Alfred's bed, his body dirty but satisfied as Alfred ran a hand through his sweaty hair. The man was sitting up and his free hand trailed down his own body to wipe off the semen on him. Arthur turned his head to look at him. "What was the purpose of waking me up in the morning to just mate?"

"I had to get you up somehow and I felt like mating." Alfred shrugged and kissed Arthur's lips before climbing out of the bed. Arthur sat up with a soft wince and raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you going?"

"You mean, where are _we_ going." Alfred corrected and pulled Arthur out of the bed. Arthur bit back an undignified whine as the cooler air hit his body. "You and I are going to take a bath, get dressed and then we need to go to work."

"Work?" Arthur asked, startled. He hadn't been to work in half a year.

"Yup! It's officially winter which means our pack starts working and the kids go to school!" Alfred led the way downstairs to the large bath on the first floor and he began to get in. Arthur stayed where he was.

"Why are we bathing here?" This would be the first time Arthur would take a bath in this tub.

"Because it's winter, duh!" Alfred grabbed Arthur's hand and pulled him into the tub. Arthur hissed at the heat and jumped back out.

"It's bloody hot, you git!" He yelled.

Alfred looked surprised. "Well yeah, a little. But it's the same as usual." He moved to pull Arthur back in but Arthur swatted the hand away.

"Let me go in on my own terms!" He said and after a moment to wait for Alfred's confirmation before slowly starting to enter the tub. He shuddered at the heat and resisted recoiling but after a few seconds he couldn't handle the pain and flung himself out of the water blowing on his overheated skin and shivering at the pain. Alfred ran out of the basin and over to his mate.

"Are you okay?" He asked, worried.

"It's too hot, Alfred. I can't bathe in there." Arthur said. "How can you stand it?"

Alfred shrugged. "It's natural for me." Arthur wondered how he was supposed to bathe now. "Hang on." Alfred walked over to a cupboard and grabbed a rag and a pair of towels out of it before placing the towels off to the side and motioning Arthur to come to the edge of the spring before hopping in. Arthur sat on the side and Alfred dipped and wrung the water out before wiping off his mate's body. Arthur flushed at being treated like a helpless child but he couldn't even touch the rag. It was like touching a hot skillet. Alfred made quick swipes over his skin so as to not burn him and after some minutes Arthur felt clean and stood up.

"I'm going to get Amelia." He announced as Matthew and Gilbert and their children came downstairs.

"Alright." Alfred nodded and Arthur left greeting his other packmates as he went up two floors. He relished the cooler air of his bedroom, feeling the fan blow on him as he went to his daughter's room and gently woke her up. The little girl rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes with tiny fists before blinking her eyes open to look at her mother.

"Time to get up, darling." He told her. Amelia whined softly but held her arms out to be picked up. Arthur did so and carried the drowsy little girl downstairs where he saw that everyone was up and in the bath. The water didn't seem bother any of them as the children played in it and the adults chatted.

"Humans can't regulate their internal body temperatures like we can, Alfred." Nicole was saying, sitting on the edge of the spring with her legs in the water. Akane clung to one and his mother swung him back and forth in the water.

"Really?" Alfred asked and Arthur joined them. He handed his daughter over to Alfred and Alfred lowered her carefully into the water while holding her in his arms. She flinched once and her eyes opened wide to blink around her but didn't react like Arthur had.

"Yeah, do you remember how humans bundled up so much in the winter time even though it wasn't even cold to us? It's because they can't increase their core temperatures. They have to use clothing and insulation to keep warm." Nicole turned to Arthur. "Isn't that right?"

"How do you mean?" Arthur questioned.

"This spring increases our core temperatures each morning for the whole day so that the winter isn't as harsh on our bodies." Kiku explained as Zack gave a cry and jumped into the water on his brother. Gilbert laughed as Matthew scolded his son lightly.

"Oh, yes we can't do that." Arthur confirmed. "Our bodies must stay in a certain internal temperature zone or else we die."

They looked horrified at the thought. "Then you're definitely not bathing in here!" Alfred said. In his arms Amelia was rinsing the soap haphazardly out of her hair. Alfred began to help as Akane watch her. Zack and Roger swam over to join them. Matthew and Gilbert started making out in the corner. Nicole threw something at them and missed but got their attentions. Matthew looked a little sheepish but they both looked mostly annoyed.

"Yes, I had already assumed that." Amelia wiggled in Alfred's arms and cried out causing everyone to look at her.

"What's wrong?" Zack instantly asked, by his cousin's side in an instance.

"Too hot, daddy!" Amelia said and tried to pull herself out of the water. Alfred lifted her and handed her over to Arthur who winced at how hot her skin was but held onto her anyway. She shuddered and pressed herself to her mother's cooler skin. Arthur rubbed her back and wrung the water out of her tail gently. Amelia must not have as much resistance to the heat but was better at handling it than a human.

They waited for their hair to dry before they all started getting dressed. The children needed help with their clothing being as it was the first time they ever wore such things. All of the children were outfits similar to what one would wear on a chilly day in the South while Arthur wore at least three shirts under his snow jacket (that he packed before they moved, remembering what Matthew said about how cold it would be outside) and boots with his thick pants that the Hetalians already had. The other adults transformed into ranging creatures (Alfred being the largest looking like a mix between a brown bear and a dog) ready for the journey.

The others had ranging opinions about the outfit –none of which were good especially Alfred's as he bemoaned that he could hardly see Arthur's face. But Arthur ignored them all and felt glad that he dressed so appropriately when he stepped outside to a gush of bone-chilling cold wind. He huddled in on himself and his daughter as he looked out at the landscape and gasped. There was snow absolutely everywhere. It appeared to be just like the snow on Earth but with more of a greenish tint to it. It was like the world took a sudden dip from autumn to winter because just last night there were leaves on the trees and the world was still alive. Now it looked like the perfect winter scene. The Star wasn't quite up yet.

The children and Arthur marveled at the scene and Alfred snorted once to get their attention. The children climbed onto their respective parents and Arthur slipped on the bag with the adults' clothes in it before he held onto Amelia as they got on Alfred. Arthur was shocked by just how much heat his mate was giving off, feeling like he was hugging a blanket that had just come out of dryer. He buried his cold nose into Alfred's fur and Alfred glanced over his shoulder for a moment before the pack started running.

* * *

><p>The city was about an hour away and Arthur was shocked by just how large it was. While the first one he had gone to seemed large, this one took up all of the trees in the vicinity and reached to the treetops that he could hardly see. There was a large spaceport with many, many ships of different sizes and shapes and people were everywhere. It was extremely crowded in comparison to anywhere else Arthur had been so far. They milled about everywhere. Amelia took all of it in with eyes just as wide as her mother's as everyone changed back and got dressed.<p>

Alfred walked over to Arthur and pulled down the man's scarf to kiss him hungrily. Arthur groaned softly at just how hot Alfred's lips and tongue were and leaned in for more but remembered their daughter in his arms and pulled away with pink cheeks. Alfred pecked both and murmured, "You look so cute, Artie." Arthur frowned at him and the Hetalian laughed before he moved to his daughter and kissed her forehead as he swiped her out of her mother's arms. "I'll be seeing you two later, alright?"

Amelia frowned in confusion. "Daddy?"

"I have to go to work and you'll go with Nicole and mommy!"

"I'm not her mum, Alfred!" Arthur objected.

Amelia teared up. "B-but!" Alfred kissed her eyes and gave her back to Arthur.

"We'll be together soon, sweetie!" He told her but Arthur noticed that he was reluctant to leave as well. A part of Arthur felt his heart being squeezed at the thought of Alfred leaving him but he pushed that feeling away stubbornly. He was a grown man who had been alone before. Even though he hadn't been apart from Alfred since he had practically arrived, it didn't mean he couldn't survive a few hours every day without him.

Gilbert, Matthew, and Kiku came over to Arthur then having said goodbye to their children as well. "We all get off work at the same time and Matt and Kiku will be the last ones back." Gilbert informed him. "Nicole will show you what to do."

"Alright."

"Have a good first day, Arthur." Both Matthew and Kiku said before Alfred gave Arthur one more kiss and the four went off to where they needed to go. Nicole and the children joined Arthur.

"So you're in my care today!" Nicole said, happy. Akane was in her arms and by her Zack and Roger were sniffling a little. Amelia had her face buried in Arthur's neck, her ears flat with unhappiness. Arthur rubbed her back.

"Where do we go?"

"Just follow me." Nicole led the way as they travelled. "I already talked to the head teacher about what we were going to do with you and he said that you'll just stick with me until you become accustomed to the position. See this is how it works, the classes are split up into five years from year one (which all of our pack's children are in) to year five. By year six the children are training for their jobs and not school. The first three years are to prepare children for pack life –because this is the place where they'll form pack relations- and to let them learn about different subjects so they know what to go into."

"Sort of like on Earth?"

"Yeah, like that, but less specific. There are two classes in each year and multiple teachers that teach the students whatever they want to learn about the subject. You and I will be teaching about other cultures and such. A lot of children were interested in it the last two years I was teaching it. It'll be fun! And in the middle of the day the younger two years have a midday nap –which I'm assuming you'll join in on," Arthur flushed at the weakness of his body compared to the Hetalians.

"Sorry."

"It's not a problem! We don't really do anything during that time anyway, but sometimes I meet up with Alfred and Gilbert to eat lunch. After their naps all of the children eat and then go to play on the shared playground. And then it's back to teaching until the end of the day. Does that all make sense?"

"Yes, it does." Arthur shifted Amelia's weight to his other arm. "But where will the children be?"

"Oh, we'll see when we get inside." She said as they arrived.

Inside of the school was quite like the house Arthur lived in with his pack. It had that feeling to it. On the bottom floor was a large room for the cafeteria and further back was what was supposed to be a playground that look more like an amusement park with the contraptions in it. The place was excessively warm and Arthur stripped off most of his layers but left on the last one even though everyone else was naked again. It was still a bit too nippy for him to strip completely.

The floors, according to Nicole, went up by age groups and so the first years were on the floor above the ground floor. Their room had the children in it and Nicole explained that they didn't only teach the first years. Their job positions switched years depending on what the head teacher said. Arthur shrugged and went along with it. However, they were told that they were working with the second years that day and so they took the children to their classroom. The kids were upset and Amelia cried some but Arthur assured her that he would see her soon and left Zack to comfort her. She hugged Zack as Arthur and Nicole left.

"We'll see them soon." Nicole said, although she sounded like she was reassuring herself just as much as she was reassuring Arthur.

* * *

><p>Teaching the children was definitely a new experience. Here the children chose what teachers they wanted based on subject and then sat down. Nicole greeted them and motioned for Arthur to speak. Arthur was glad his communication skills were up to par now. He could understand most of the conversation and told them his name.<p>

"You're all here to learn about other cultures, correct?" Nicole asked and when she received the confirmation she grinned and said, "Well Mr. Kirkland here is from Earth!"

"Where's that?" One of the children asked.

"It's in a galaxy over from ours. He's human."

"He doesn't look different, though." A little girl said softly.

"I'm not completely sure why that is," Arthur spoke up, "but it's true. I come from a planet called Earth and although we look alike, I'm different from you in a number of ways."

"Like how?" They asked.

"The most important one is that I cannot change into another being." The kids gasped.

"At _all_?" A boy asked.

Arthur shook his head. "I cannot change at all." From that moment on the children asked a billion questions and Nicole sat back to let Arthur take the lead as Arthur talked about some of human culture.

The moment Alfred saw him, he made a mad dash towards Arthur and tackled his mate into a hug. "ARTIE!" He cried happily and nuzzled his face into his scarf before lifting his face. "I missed you!"

Arthur felt exasperation towards his mate but smiled softly. "It's only been a few hours, love."

"Eight!"

"Yes, yes." Arthur shoved him off of him as Amelia ran over and jumped into her father's arms. Alfred laughed and spun her around.

"How was it?" Gilbert asked both his sons and Arthur.

"Fun!" They both announced.

"I agree." Arthur said.

"He was great!" Nicole said. "The kids loved him!"

"That's awesome!" Alfred said and pulled Arthur's scarf forward to kiss him. Amelia buried her face into her father's neck.

"You act like I never taught children before." Arthur rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ugh, this feels like another crappy chapter. OTL  
>I'll write a more interesting one next time, I promise.<strong>


	17. Bullying

**A/N: Sorry about the abrupt end. I just REALLY wanted to get that chapter done with (holy shit, you have no idea how much that thing was dragging me back!) and because I REALLY wanted to write this chapter. It's so much more interesting. :)  
>Btw, just for the hell of it, I'm going to put the children's personality types at the bottom mostly so I have a set-in-stone area to use to keep the children in character as well as because I think my readers might enjoy it. :) <strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Bullying<strong>

Things went by quietly for the next two days and Arthur was easily falling into the groove of teaching again and he had to admit that he had missed it. He hadn't until he started teaching realized just how lazy his life had become. Having a bit more purpose made him happy.

But that was the extent of it. One day in the evening Roger walked over to where the adults were talking on the second floor of their house and the other children were playing with each other and their toys. Roger tapped on Alfred's arm to get his attention. "Uncle Alfred?"

"Yeah?" Alfred asked.

Roger appeared a little upset, glancing over at his packmates. "Something's wrong with Amelia." All of the adults were instantly on alert.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked. They were all prepared for something to go wrong within Amelia. On top of being a girl, her growth pattern was strange. They had charged (subtly) Roger and Zack being the eldest to keep an eye on her whenever the adults couldn't.

Roger frowned, trying to find the right wording. "She's…different."

"How?" Matthew asked. "Roger, answer us."

"I don't know!" Roger said, shifting nervously. "She's just being…different!" He pointed to her and they followed the point to study the girl. They didn't notice anything different but Arthur did almost immediately. Amelia was slower than the other children. She wasn't as active and appeared to be almost sad. Arthur stood up.

"Thank you for telling us, Roger. Alfred," Alfred nodded and stood before he called out, "Amelia!" The little girl looked them. "Come to the kitchen with us for a drink!" Amelia smiled a little and hurried over on still slightly unsteady legs as Alfred and Arthur headed over to the kitchen on the other side of the room. When the three arrived Arthur and Alfred kneeled down with a drink for her in a sippy-cup-type container and she began to drink.

Arthur looked at her. "Amelia, is everything okay?" She looked at them with wide eyes –startled. Arthur and Alfred understood that there was something wrong immediately.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Don't lie." Alfred told her. "You shouldn't lie to us. Is there something wrong?"

Amelia's eyes watered and she dropped the cup as she began to cry, holding her arms out and nodding. Arthur scooped her into his arms and the three stood as she sobbed into her mother's shoulder. The rest of the pack looked at them in alarm and Zack moved to rush over but a sharp look from both Gilbert and Alfred stopped him. Arthur shushed his daughter and rubbed her back. "What's wrong, darling?"

Amelia didn't answer until she was back to sniffling and then said, "S-some boys! They-they said names!"

"Names?" Alfred asked.

"Me! They said me names!"

Arthur didn't understand. "They called her names." Alfred clarified for him. Arthur nodded.

"Do you know who? Or why?" He asked her.

"Because I have ears and tail!" The little girl cried again and didn't say anymore. Arthur looked at Alfred, dismayed. He had expected something like this from the moment they figured out that she couldn't transform correctly. He knew that she would be bullied. He held Amelia tighter and kissed her forehead and after a while she calmed down. Arthur placed her down then.

"Take your juice and go play, okay?" Alfred smiled at her gently and Amelia nodded before running off to join her friends. Alfred and Arthur turned to each other. "What should we do?"

"I'm going to find out who those children are and talk to their parents!" Arthur hissed, angered.

"No!" Alfred objected, startling Arthur. "We shouldn't do that!"

"What do you mean?" He demanded.

"We should let her handle this on her own!"

"What! Why?" Arthur's voice gradually became louder.

"Because she needs to learn to fend for herself!" Alfred's voice began to get a little louder as well.

"She's a mere babe, Alfred! She needs her parents to defend her!"

"No, she doesn't! She's a strong girl!"

"Alfred, obviously you're not getting the point of parenting!" Arthur yelled. "We're here to _help_ our children! If Amelia is being bullied then it's our job to help her!"

"She shouldn't _need_ our help!" Alfred yelled back.

"She does so!"

"Arthur, I'm telling you not to interfere!" Arthur reeled back slightly, struck before he came back furious.

"I may be your mate, Alfred F. Jones, and I may be a part of your pack, but you are _not _my leader and I do _not _have to listen to you! So don't you _dare _tell me what to do!" Amelia burst into tears from where she was and Zack hugged her.

"Stop fighting!" She yelled to them, the loudest they had ever heard her voice. "No fighting, please!" Arthur and Alfred fell silent and walked over to comfort her. They didn't come to a decision that day, but Arthur ignored his mate's order. On top of that, he refused to sleep in the same bed as him. Alfred didn't grasp the concept that he did not rule over Arthur and he was not Alfred's property. Alfred was left to sleep in the bed alone and Arthur slept in Amelia's bed with her.

Alfred stared at the empty spot next to him in the bed and frowned deeply. He wanted Arthur next to him and a whine escaped his throat as he got up to walk to Amelia's bedroom to peek in. Arthur was fast asleep with Amelia curled up soundly in his arms. Alfred felt jealous and he whimpered softly, wanting to wake Arthur to convince him to come to bed with him but not wanting to wake him up at the same time. A part of him was still mad at Arthur. Why couldn't the human understand that Amelia needed to handle her own problems without interference from her parents? She would never grow that way. But Alfred wanted to be held in Arthur's arms.

He headed back to bed and curled up with Arthur's pillow, upset and lonely as he fell into a fitful slumber.

* * *

><p>The next day when they went back to work Alfred leaned in to kiss Arthur but Arthur turned away stubbornly and walked away with his daughter. Alfred watched distraught and lowered his head before walking towards his work. Gilbert shrugged at Nicole and Nicole and the children ran over to join Arthur.<p>

"You're being a little harsh, aren't you?" She asked. "You're upsetting Alfred."

"Whatever." Arthur brushed it off. "I'm going to find out who's bullying my daughter." Nicole didn't say anything but frowned unhappily as they entered the school. She and Arthur weren't working with the first years that day, however, but were instead with the second years again. It frustrated Arthur, but he dealt with it. Nothing happened that he knew of but he kept an eye out until it was playtime. He looked around the playground and saw his daughter playing with Akane and whipping her tail back and forth. Arthur smiled softly, knowing she was happy.

Akane climbed to his feet and pointed someplace before running off in that direction. Amelia giggled and stood to follow him when Zack ran out and poked her in the back. Arthur heard her peal of laughter as she turned to go after him when Roger ran past laughing. They were playing some form of tag. "How are things?" Nicole asked, coming up to the man. Arthur turned to her.

"Everything seems fine. You haven't heard anything?"

"None of the teachers said that she was being bothered." Nicole smiled but then they both heard Amelia cry out and they turned to see a group of boys pulling her tail and saying things to her. Arthur and Nicole began to run over to her. Arthur felt anger boil his blood.

But as they approached her they heard a loud, "Don't touch her!" and Zack came out of nowhere and tackled the boy pulling Amelia's tail and Roger yanked another down. They looked about ready to rip the boys apart until Akane yelled, "Stop!" Everybody in the vicinity stopped whatever they were doing. Zack and Roger looked towards the normally meek Akane. The little boy looked absolutely furious as he glared heatedly at the boy who appeared to be the ringleader of the bullies. Nicole and Arthur watched, shocked.

"Get off." Akane told Zack and Roger. The boys didn't move. "Now!" He barked and the twins scrambled to get off of the attacked boys. They moved to stand next to Amelia on each side. Amelia was staring at Akane with wide, teary eyes. "Say sorry to Amelia." Akane commanded the bullies. "Or we _will_ beat you."

The bullies, which Arthur recognized as third years, were cowed by the anger and hurriedly apologized to Amelia before dashing away. Akane huffed and relaxed into a more normal state, but still looked angry. Arthur waved off the other teachers and he and Nicole approached.

"Akane." Nicole breathed. Akane's eyes widened upon seeing his mother and he became nervous. He looked down to avoid his judging mother but he glanced up through his bangs. Nicole smiled widely at him.

Arthur kneeled and placed a hand on the boy's head. "Good job." The little boy looked up at him in surprise. Arthur then looked at Roger and Zack. "Thank you." The boys smiled. Arthur turned to Amelia. "Are you alright?" Amelia climbed to her feet and nodded. Arthur stood then as Nicole grabbed her son and hugged him while congratulating him. Amelia thanked her cousins.

After Nicole released him Amelia walked up to Akane. He was still taller than her by about half a foot. "Thank you, Akane." She said. Akane's cheeks turned pink and he looked away.

"It's-it's because I didn't want all of the fighting." He murmured, kicking his foot shyly. Amelia leaned up and kissed his cheek with a smile and Akane turned darker. Zack frowned. Nicole stood next to Arthur and giggled.

"Oh my gosh, Kiku will love hearing this." She turned to Arthur with sparkling eyes. "Akane has an Alpha personality."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hahaha, of all of the kids it's Akane with the Alpha personality! I love that the shy kid is the one. He has such a strange personality. And speaking of personalities, here are the children's:  
>(If you don't want to read, then just skip this part)<br>****Akane: ****Shy, quiet, "read the atmosphere" personality, however when he becomes passionate he quickly develops the 'British temperament'. Type 2 tsundere.**

**Zack: ****Smart, but tends to ignore his own logical mind in terms of his emotions. A fast-paced type of kid. More of a "Boy who would be a best friend" type. More likely to have and keep more friends. Family-oriented. Hopeless romantic.**

**Roger:**** Intelligent, but not all that smart. He's calm and clear-headed. Mature. More of a "Prince Boyfriend" personality. More likely to have more girlfriends/boyfriends. Family-oriented.**

**Amelia:**** A genius who doesn't like to talk too much but instead show by actions. Kind-hearted and soft unless someone close to her is hurt in some way. A bit of a cry-baby. Although she has her father's looks, she tends to think and act more like her mother.**


	18. Control

**A/N: Updating twice in a row! There will be sexy times in this chapter. This thing's mostly to show the difference between Alfred's first heat and the rest of them. You can skip it if you want. But for those who want to go on, onward!**

* * *

><p><strong>Control<strong>

When Alfred woke up, he understood immediately what the heat coursing through his veins was. His body felt like it was on fire in a way even the spring on the bottom floor couldn't do. It made the extremities of his body tingle and his libido twitch. He opened his eyes and gazed at his still-sleeping mate. His hand went scorching up Arthur's back and he leaned him to kiss him, but pulled away from him and climbed out of bed with a slight mental struggle. He went to the stairwell and climbed up to his brother's floor and knocked on the door.

The family was already up and getting ready to go downstairs and so Zack opened the door. He made a face at Alfred's scent and asked, "Are you okay, Uncle Al?"

Alfred grinned. "Yeah! Go get Mattie, please." Zack nodded and ran off into the apartment calling for his mother. Matthew arrived a few moments later and he paused.

"You need to me tell your boss?" He guessed.

"Yeah, but also can you show me…"

"Yeah, alright. Let me tell Gilbert."

* * *

><p>Arthur awoke slowly and stretched, his legs and arms splaying across the bed. Upon not finding that he kicked his mate, he opened his eyes and looked around the room. No Alfred. He frowned and climbed to his feet and padded to his daughter's bedroom. Upon seeing her missing his heart leapt into a trot and dashed downstairs, terrified. He found her and other members of the pack down there and calmed down, a little annoyed.<p>

"Don't just take Amelia whenever you want." He told them.

"I'm sorry, Arthur, but we have to leave soon and she needed her bath." Kiku apologized.

"I could've bathed her. Why wasn't I woken? And speaking of that, where is Alfred?" He reached down and scooped his still-steaming daughter into his arms to hug and kiss her cheek.

The adults of the pack glanced at each other. "He's in his second heat." Nicole said. Arthur paused and then groaned softly.

"Please tell me you're joking. I don't think I can put up with it." His back ached just at the thought of it.

"Nope." Gilbert said.

"He's not going to be like he was during his initial heat, Arthur. The fact that he didn't even so much as wake you up and left the house proves that." Kiku said.

"Where is he, then?" Arthur asked.

"Oh…he's getting _that_ plant with Matt." Gilbert chuckled. Nicole giggled as well. Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"What's that?"

"It's a plant that inhibits pregnancy." Nicole explained. "He probably doesn't want to get pregnant when you top." Arthur turned a little pink.

"I see." It was birth control, then. But a natural one. Earth women everywhere would have loved it.

"So you'll be staying leaving, Arthur." She went on. "You might want to get dressed."

"I'm leaving?"

"So that we'll still be able to use the house while you two are mating." Gilbert made a face. "We don't exactly want to have to smell you." Arthur nodded and then he went upstairs to get dressed. He just hoped that Alfred took him somewhere warm. If not he was going to be left sexually frustrated for the whole day.

The rest of the pack left and Arthur kissed his daughter goodbye as he waited for his mate to come back. Alfred did come back fifteen minutes later and brushing snow out of his hair and chewing on something. His eyes lit up with (lust) happiness upon seeing his mate and he rushed over to hug him. Arthur shivered in his heated hold and said, "You haven't attacked me yet."

Alfred pulled back. "It's not easy, I'm telling you. All I want to do is be inside of you right now." He pressed a kiss to Arthur's neck. His chest was heaving with repressed want. He pulled back. "Come on –I want to get to our mating site."

"You had better hope it'll be warm, Alfred." Arthur stated.

"It is! I thought of it!" He transformed into a horse and Arthur opened the door to climb onto him. Alfred took off in a full run and Arthur waited until they arrived at a type of cave. Alfred took him into it and the cave began to descend but still stay just as wide so Alfred didn't need to change back. After a while Arthur felt the temperature begin to rise until it was at a comfortable level and Alfred stopped by a pool of heated water. Arthur climbed off of him but didn't even get a chance to talk before Alfred's lips were upon his and his first jacket was being pulled off.

"Fuck, Alfred!" Arthur groaned when his neck was bitten lightly and tried to throw off his clothes fast. Alfred's expert hands were a help. A part of Arthur missed the usual nudity. He could understand –just a little bit- why Hetalians hated clothing.

Alfred lowered Arthur onto a padded bedding of pillows that Alfred must've prepared beforehand at some point. Arthur appreciated it and kissed his cheek to show it. Alfred grinned at him and ripped Arthur's final piece of clothing off to expose his needy body. He groaned and ran his tongue up Arthur's inner thigh to his member. Arthur shuddered and arched upward. He wanted to yell at Alfred not to tease, but remembered that he had all day –literally.

"Arthur…" Alfred breathed and positioned himself, fully ready. "Can I start?" Arthur smiled, relieved. Nicole had been right about this second heat. He preferred it much more.

"Yes." Alfred met him in a furious kiss as he entered his mate. Arthur winced and squeezed Alfred close to his body as he became fully sheathed inside. "Oh god…" He exhaled and tilted his head back as Alfred thrusted into him once, already almost perfectly hitting his spot. Alfred knew his body well and Arthur was happy about it. He knew Alfred's body just as well, grabbing his ahoge teasingly. Alfred cried out and moved faster as he whipped the curl out of Arthur's hand. "Nng…Alfred, oh god!"

"Arthur…" Alfred took Arthur's nipple into his mouth and heard his mate cry out. His body shivered at the sound as his and Arthur's mate scents invaded his nose. His whole body felt like it was on fire, but it was under his control this time. He could make sure that he and Arthur both enjoyed this heat and not cause Arthur pain. He never wanted to cause Arthur pain.

"Alfred…Al-I-I'm close…ah!"

Alfred focused on him and kissed him as his hand slipped between them to stroke Arthur's cock as they moved. Arthur's legs tightened around him and Alfred closed his eyes as he felt his own nearing end.

"F-faster…!" Arthur cried. Alfred listened, pulling Arthur against him instead and heard his quick breath in his ear.

"Come for me…Arthur." He told him, rubbing his stomach against Arthur's member and Arthur couldn't take it as he screamed and climaxed, his nails digging into Alfred's back. Alfred followed not a moment later, milking the two of their bodies together. He slowed to a stop as he finished and pulled out of his mate. Arthur huffed, looking content with his completion. Alfred watched him and felt the heat boil up in him quickly. It begged for him to go back into his mate but he knew Arthur needed a few moments. He would wait, but he would wait impatiently.

Arthur glanced at Alfred and saw the man watching him, waiting. Arthur was happy that he was waiting and after another long minute he rolled on top of Alfred and kissed him. "My turn."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So yeah, little differences between Alfred's initial and the rest of his heats.  
>There will be a time skip in the next chapter. A big jump.<strong>

**(sorry if the sex scene was a little crappy…)**


	19. Lost

**A/N: This is going to be a long chapter. It'll be interesting!**

* * *

><p><strong>Lost<strong>

Arthur looked around him holding onto the hand of his daughter and frowning. The surrounding area was unfamiliar and the people there were not ones he recognized. Amelia looked up at her mother from her spot. She tugged on her mother's hand. "Where's daddy?" She asked.

Arthur smiled softly at her but it was unsure. "I don't know, Amelia."

"We're lost, aren't we?" Amelia was a smart child, Arthur knew. Sometimes he disliked his genes because he knew that it certainly wasn't Alfred's brains that Amelia had inherited.

"We are." He sighed softly and contemplated what to do next. He was unsure of how this had even happened. It was the beginning of summer and the pack's work days were over for the year. To celebrate that and Zack and Roger's birthday Alfred decided that they'd all go to a type of 'amusement park' for the children. Everything was fine and dandy at first. The park was much like one back on Earth with similar rides and such but all natural instead. Waterfalls with slides built around them made for waterslides and a Ferris wheel used vines and wind power. The children were being a bit too rowdy but the parents had allowed it if only for the fact that it was their first time at such a place. Unfortunately it was rowdiness that had Arthur and Amelia end up where they were at that moment.

They had stopped for a bathroom break near a swift river that boats were taken on as a ride. It had many different tracks and the boats were led by workers down the right river path to let the ride flow smoothly. The ride was then allowed to go down the river and circle around for it was a circular path if the right direction was taken. Nicole and Gilbert had gone to the restroom along with Akane and Matthew and Alfred went to get drinks for the pack. Arthur and Kiku were left watching the twins and Amelia. She appeared to look like a three year old now finally. She was starting to look the right Hetalian age. She was running around on steady feet with the boys and rough-housed just as much with them. Kiku and Arthur kept a sharp eye on them because Amelia's well-being still needed to be watched out for. Her hair had lightened up some to more of a light brown than the dark brown she'd had when she was younger. But it still wasn't the color of Alfred's or Arthur's hair yet, which they suspected it would take on one of the roles eventually.

Kiku and Arthur had been chatting contently when they both heard a familiar cry and a splash along with Zack and Roger yelling, "AMELIA!" Arthur's heart jolted and he and Kiku made it over just in time to see Amelia being swept under the water.

Arthur didn't hesitate. "Watch the boys!" He instructed Kiku and jumped into the water. He faintly heard a protest from Kiku but he ignored it. Arthur had always been an excellent swimmer having grown up on the island of England along the coast and thus was able to catch up quickly to the body of his daughter and pull her above the water. The girl spluttered and coughed out the water as they were swept downstream. Arthur didn't have time to ask if she was alright as he hit a willow-like tree root and the two were forced back under the water in the rapids. Arthur tried desperately to keep both of their heads above the water as the world swirled past them. He couldn't tell which way was up but managed to get them air just in time. It felt like hours passed before the push of the water let up until they were drifting.

Arthur broke the surface again and swam with tired limbs and an exhausted body to the shore and heaved himself and Amelia up. The two gasped for breath –Amelia made it through relatively unharmed and breathing and that was all that matter to Arthur- and collapsed on the bank. He knew they couldn't stay there, though, and forced his body to move. His head was jumbled as he climbed to his feet and lifted Amelia onto his back before he began trekking away, unsure of where he was going. He didn't know how long it was but eventually his legs collapsed beneath him and he hit the ground, managing to drop his daughter a safe distance and rolling onto his back. His vision started to go dark and his body felt bruised all over. He heard his daughter cry out for him once before everything went black.

He awoke at some point in time later and sat up with a groan. Arthur looked around him swiftly and in fear for his daughter, but he found the little girl curled against him sleeping. He breathed a sigh of relief and stroked her hair. He vaguely recalled her wearing a ribbon in her hair earlier, but it was gone now probably lost in the tumult of the river. Her hair was dry and so was his. They had been out for a while. Amelia blinked her eyes open and looked up. Her eyes lit up. "Mummy!" She cried and hugged Arthur.

Arthur hugged her back tightly. "Are you alright, darling? You're not injured?" She shook her head but she looked at Arthur in fear. Arthur scanned his own body and saw that there were many, many dark spots littering his pale skin. He winced. He had been injured in that river more than he had thought. "I'm fine as well, Amelia." He stood up and took the girl's hand. "Come, now let's go." Amelia nodded and the two began walking. The Star was starting to set, Arthur noticed, as it was much lower in the sky than he had remembered. He wondered where the others were and if they were looking for them. After a while Arthur knew they had ended up in some type of town with all of the buildings and people nearby.

And thus they ended up in their current predicament.

Arthur sighed to himself. _I'm such a fool. I should've let Kiku go after her, now that I think about it. He can transform after all. Arthur, you daft fool, you're going senile._

"I'm hungry…" Amelia murmured as the spicy aroma of cooked meats entered their nostrils. Arthur felt his own stomach growl.

"Soon, darling." He assured his daughter and they walked again. Arthur didn't know what he was supposed to do. There wasn't really a currency system on Hetalia but there were restaurants and such. He didn't know how they worked, however, since very few people actually ate at those places unless they were in a city. But this was a small town and there didn't appear to be any food places. They looked to be more furniture shops and greenhouses. They wouldn't steal, though. Arthur considered hunting.

"Excuse me?" The two turned to see a woman with long brown hair and honey eyes. Three orange flowers were held in her hair as a type of barrette and she carried a basket of strawberry-type vegetables. She looked kind. "Are you alright?" Her eyes roamed over Arthur's bruised body.

"O-oh, well, we had a little accident and lost our pack." Arthur admitted. The woman gasped.

"Oh my! What happened? Can I help at all?"

Arthur smiled softly, thankful for the culture of this planet. People were so much nicer. "Yes, my daughter fell into a river and I jumped in after her to rescue her but we were swept downstream and wandered…here."

"I see. Perhaps you would like to come with me? We're going to have supper soon and I'm sure my pack won't mind if I take in a lost parent and his child."

"I would be grateful." He said.

"Thank you!" Amelia chirped happily, glad to just receive some food. The woman giggled.

"It's not a problem! Come this way."

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours earlier<strong>

Alfred smiled and laughed at the joke Matthew said, carrying in his arms half the drinks for his pack. The day had been great. It had been a long time since his pack had a day off to just have fun and it had been even longer since they had been to the amusement park. It was great. Or at least it had been great until his ears picked up the sound of familiar crying. Matthew took off and Alfred realized that the sound was his nephews and so he hurried after.

When they arrived they found Kiku trying to comfort the sobbing twins and Gilbert helping. Nicole was missing. Akane was staring at the river in shock. "What happened?" Both Matthew and Alfred demanded as Matthew rushed forward to hold his children. Alfred looked around frantically upon realizing that his family wasn't there. Fear spiked through his heart and he grabbed Kiku.

"Where's Artie? Where's Amelia?" He cried as he shook the man.

"Stop shaking him!" Gilbert yelled at him. Alfred did.

"I'm so sorry, Alfred!" Kiku said, distressed. "They were swept downstream!"

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Alfred cried and turned into an eagle before taking off. He was terrified for his mate and his daughter. He knew that the river was too rough further downstream –especially on the wrong path from the ride- and knew that even Hetalians didn't risk swimming in it in fear of becoming injured. And Arthur couldn't transform at all. On top of that there was Amelia who also couldn't transform and being what she was she could possibly die. Alfred blinked back tears and focused on trying to find his family before anything bad happened.

* * *

><p>"I'm sure my pack won't mind if you spend the night." The kind woman said as she led Arthur and Amelia with her to a field outside of the town.<p>

"I couldn't possibly impose in such a way." Arthur objected. "We can find another place to sleep. Perhaps in the town?"

"No, I insist!" The woman looked at them sternly and allowing no room for objections. Arthur didn't fight back. They soon heard the sounds of squabbling and entered the sleeping area for this woman's pack. In it stood two men –one of which Arthur vaguely recognized- and another woman who appeared to be about eighteen or so. She looked fairly young with blonde hair cropped like one of the males who also had blonde hair. She looked like she could be his twin and Arthur would've mistaken her had it not been for the obvious and that she wore a purple ribbon tied into her hair. The blonde male looked was arguing calmly with an aristocratic brunette.

"Roderich, Vash, Lily! I've brought some people here!" The first woman announced, receiving her pack's attention. Arthur and the aristocrat looked at each other and Arthur knew that the man recognized him as well, but he couldn't place where.

"Elizabeta! Who are these two?" The blonde male asked as the two groups of three met up.

"My name is Arthur and this is my daughter Amelia." Arthur spoke up for his family. "We had an accident and ended up separated from our pack."

"So I invited them to stay with us tonight." Elizabeta said.

Vash's eyes softened somewhat. "I see, but you shouldn't just allow strangers in."

"Vash." Lily came up and poked her head around the blonde. The man stiffened slightly and moved to make sure she was protected. Arthur understood that she was either his mate or sibling. "We should let them. What if they get attacked by Shadows?"

"That's why I brought them here!" Elizabeta said, smiling at Lily in thanks. Arthur was a little startled, having forgotten all about Shadows.

"I haven't seen any." He stated.

"That's because they prefer to live in cities or towns."

"I see."

"Do I know you from somewhere?" The brunette –Arthur assumed that this was Roderich- asked.

Arthur raised a brow. So he hadn't assumed incorrectly. He thought about it. "Oh! Yes, I remember now! You're the first person I met upon coming to Hetalia with Alfred!" Arthur remembered when he had gotten off of Alfred's ship. This was the man Alfred had spoken to.

"Ah, right." Roderich nodded.

"Wait, Alfred? Alfred F. Jones?" Elizabeta asked.

"Yes, him."

Elizabeta squealed, startling Arthur and Amelia as she grabbed Arthur's hands. "I _knew_ I recognized that scent! You're Alfred's mate, I'm sure of it! Oh, I'm so happy for him! And for you!" She hugged Arthur tightly.

"You know Alfred?" He asked when he was released.

"Yes! We went to school together! Oh, I've always wanted him to find a good mate. And you're gorgeous too!" Arthur blushed as Elizabeta turned to Amelia. "And this is both your daughter? I should've noticed! She looks so much like Alfred!"

Amelia blushed as well and looked at Arthur. "Mummy, are we going home soon? It's become dark." She looked worried. Arthur knew she wanted her father. He picked her up and held her for comfort for both of them.

"She's right. We should go to sleep. It's late." Roderich said and gently took Elizabeta –who was cooing over Amelia still- and led her over to a spot. Arthur understood that they were together. "You are welcome to stay." He told Arthur.

"Thank you very much." Arthur said.

"Yes, thank you!" Amelia agreed and Arthur laid them both down in a comfortable spot close, but not too close to the other pack. He watched as Vash pulled Lily down gently into a spot and Lily cuddled close against his back. Vash sighed softly and closed his eyes as Lily smiled. Elizabeta and Roderich lay facing each other with one of Roderich's arms around his mate. Arthur felt a sharp stab of jealousy and thought about Alfred. He wondered how his mate was feeling at that moment and curled around Amelia to keep her safe. He breathed in her delicate scent and sensed Alfred's own on her. His breath caught thickly and breathed out. His physical pain was nothing compared to his worry.

Amelia blinked her eyes –her eyes that were just like Alfred's- at him and smiled calmly, placing her small hands on Arthur's face. "It's okay, mummy." She whispered. "We'll be with daddy soon." She assured him. Arthur kissed her forehead.

"I know, darling. Sleep now." The two of them closed their eyes.

* * *

><p>The Star had sunk below the horizon before Alfred came back to where his pack was meeting up. He transformed before grief sent him to his knees, his tears pouring from his eyes. He hadn't found a trace of his mate nor his daughter. Nicole immediately latched onto him to comfort him, rubbing his back. "Anything?" He begged his pack, who had also searched around.<p>

The adults shook their heads but Akane stepped forward and held out something to Alfred. He recognized immediately the little pink ribbon Arthur had put in Amelia's hair this morning. It was tattered. He bit back a sob and clutched the fabric to his chest. "They're still alive, I'm sure of it." Gilbert said, trying to keep morale high as a tense silence filled the air.

"I didn't see them anywhere downstream." Kiku said softly.

"I couldn't smell them either." Nicole added. Her nose was the best of the pack.

"I'm so sorry, Uncle Alfred!" Zack sobbed into his hands. "I was supposed to watch her!"

"It's just as much my fault as yours!" Roger disagreed, teary-eyed as well.

"It's neither of your faults." Alfred said emotionlessly. "It was an accident." He clenched the ribbon in his hand.

"Alfred, we should sleep and look for them in the morning." Gilbert suggested. "Nothing could happen to them during that time. They're geniuses after all."

"They could be dead." Alfred whispered. The children started crying harder.

"Don't say that!" Matthew scolded. "You don't know for sure! And we would've found bodies! I'm sure they're alive!" Alfred blinked a few times before he became determined. Matthew was right. They would just have to continue the search in the morning.

"Let morning come quickly." He said as they settled in. He stared at the blank spot next to him and closed his eyes visualizing Arthur there with him, his beautiful green eyes sparkling in the light of the Hetalian planets. A tear slipped down his cheek and he fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, here's the first half of this part. Review's make my day! Like, all of the time!  
>Also, if you guys feel like getting a laugh, if you look at my deviantart (it has the same username) my friends and I have made Hetalia facebook accounts (we're such freaks. XDD) and I've posted some of our more epic or funny conversations we've had so far on there! You should read them, haha.<strong>


	20. Reunion

**Reunion**

Arthur awoke to a soft shaking of him and a soft flowery scent drifting into his nose. It was unfamiliar and not a flower from near his living area. He started awake and looked up to see a blonde girl and sat up swiftly and terrified. The girl squeaked and Arthur saw a blonde haired man run over to her and stand threateningly between her and Arthur before Arthur's mind caught up to him. That's right. He wasn't with his pack. He was with this pack of near-strangers. He sighed to calm his nerves as Amelia clung to his arm gazing at him questioningly. He patted her head.

"I'm sorry, Lily. You startled me, is all." He said softly. He didn't need Vash to attack him.

"N-no, I'm sorry Arthur. I didn't mean to scare you." Lily smiled softly. Arthur could see she was a very pretty girl but she looked weak. He understood why her mate was so protective of her.

"We're getting ready to leave." Vash told him, relaxing a little and taking Lily's hand. "Prepare yourself." Arthur climbed to his feet.

"Where are we going?" He asked, following the two to where Elizabeta and Roderich were.

"Oh, you're awake! Good morning, Arthur." Elizabeta chirped, wide awake.

"Good morning."

"We're going to find your pack, Arthur." Roderich said, nodding a greeting to him.

"Yes, because I haven't seen them in a while! I can't wait to see Kiku and Nicole again!" Elizabeta giggled. "I have things to discuss with them!" Arthur wondered what kind of things.

"Is everyone ready, then?" Vash asked. "Because I have other things I want to do today."

"Yes, alright." With that said all four of them transformed into some type of birds that Arthur had seen around the planet before. They were swift movers and that were able to easily glide at forty mph. He wouldn't know what they would look like if it wasn't for seeing them land on the ground every now and again. Arthur and Amelia were left standing there awkwardly. The pack looked at them.

Arthur lowered his head a little, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, but neither of us can transform."

They changed back and looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" Roderich asked.

"Well, I'm actually a human." Arthur explained. "And Amelia, because of her hybrid blood, has been unable to transform fully or for very long."

"So humans can't transform?" Lily asked. Arthur shook his head. "Oh."

"Then I guess we'll have to carry you." Elizabeta said.

"N-no! Really I don't want to impose!" Arthur said quickly. "You're already doing so much for me. I can't possibly ride on top of you."

"It's faster that way." Vash stated, though he looked against the idea. "We need to get you back as soon as possible."

"If I know Alfred, then he'll be extremely upset and worried." Elizabeta said sadly. Arthur looked down, knowing it was true. He knew that Alfred would be torn up by his disappearance. He wondered how his pack hadn't found him yet.

"Where do we need to go? They moved locations since we last saw them."

"Oh, I don't know the exact location…" Arthur trailed off. "However, we were at an amusement park when we were swept downriver."

"Oh, I know the one." Lily said. "It's the one with the water ride in the river. Did you fall off?"

"No, my daughter slipped on the bank and I dove in after her."

"Without being able to transform? Isn't that a little reckless?" Roderich asked.

"Y-yes, well, I wasn't exactly thinking about that. Any of you would've done the same." There were murmurs of agreement from the pack.

"Sorry, Mummy…" Amelia murmured, looking down. Arthur picked her up –she was light for her size, Arthur realized- and winced slightly at his wounds. He hugged her.

"It's not your fault, darling. It was an accident." Amelia buried her face into his neck, her ears down. Arthur rubbed her back.

"Then let's go there. Perhaps we can track their scent." Elizabeta suggested.

"Chances are they didn't go far. I wouldn't." Vash said.

Arthur nodded. "How far is it?"

"Pretty far. It'll take us about an hour to get there." Elizabeta told him. Arthur was stunned. Exactly how far was he swept downstream and how far did he walk? He couldn't recall. It was all a blur.

"Then let's head out." They transformed into some animals that appeared to be a mix between an ostrich and a bear. It was a strange combination. Arthur was forced to climb on with Amelia and they started running at surprising quick speeds.

* * *

><p><em>Alfred looked around him as he ran in his wolf form. He could smell his mate. He could smell his daughter. They were close. He didn't know where his pack was, but they were the least of his thoughts. He just wanted his family. It was then that he spotted them –his Arthur and Amelia, lying on the shore near the river. His heart rate, if possible, sped up even more. There they were!<em>

_He ran over and transformed back and cried, "Artie! Amelia!" Neither of the two moved. They must be sleeping, he assumed. He dashed over and fell to his knees next to them. Arthur's eyes were covered by his hair. Amelia was tucked into his arms as if he had dragged her out and fell asleep right afterwards. "Artie." He whispered and shook his arm. He whipped his hand back sharply in surprise. Arthur was cold. Alarmingly cold. He didn't have anything to place over his mate, though. "Artie. Arthur, wake up. Come on, we need to get you and Amelia somewhere warm. Arthur! Amelia!" He leaned over his mate's body and rolled him onto his back. Arthur didn't wake up._

_Fear ripped through Alfred harshly and he shook Arthur incessantly. "Arthur! Arthur!" He was yelling now. "Wake up! Oh god, wake up please!" He leaned over and pressed his ear to Arthur's chest. He heard nothing. He fought tears, disbelieving. "No. No no no no no. No, Arthur!" He recalled his CPR training from Earth and began it on Arthur, breathing into his mate's mouth and doing chest compressions. "Oh god, Arthur. Please, please wake up. Don't be dead. ARTHUR!" He kept at it, trying desperately to wake his mate. Sobs began to wrack his body and finally he stopped to listen to Arthur's chest again praying to whatever being he could think of. But he heard nothing._

_He turned then to his daughter and lifted her up. Her body flopped like a rag doll. He knew instantly that she was gone too. He clutched her to his body and sobbed, leaning over to place bury his face into Arthur's neck. His scent was faded. He could only smell the river. He would never be able to see Arthur smile again. His eyes would never again light up with laughter. He would never see his daughter grow older. He wouldn't see her find her mate. He and Arthur would never again sleep together. He had lost his family. _

_Alfred screamed in internal agony…_

And snapped awake screaming aloud. His pack jumped awake as Alfred jumped to his feet, looking around crying out for Arthur and Amelia with tears in his eyes. His mate and daughter were gone. He would never see them again. They were dead. They weren't in his arms.

"Alfred!" Matthew cried and ran to him as Alfred tried to run off in search of their bodies. If they were dead, then he was going to die with them. He didn't want to let them go. He would hold them both in his arms forever.

"Arthur, Amelia, Arthur, Amelia!" Alfred repeated their names like a mantra as Kiku and Gilbert grabbed him and held him back.

"Alfred, get a hold of yourself! It was a nightmare!" Gilbert yelled.

"Please, Alfred! We'll find them!" Kiku cried.

"They're dead! Oh god, they're dead!" Alfred yelled. Matthew jumped in front of Alfred and grabbed his head in both hands to press their foreheads together. Their mother would do this to them whenever they ever had their vivid nightmares when they were children. Alfred's body instinctively relaxed some at the touch and he calmed down. Alfred burst into tears and grabbed onto his brother, trembling.

Matthew sighed and rubbed his brother's back. "It's okay, Al. Shh. They're still alive. It was only a nightmare."

"I'm so scared I'll find them dead. What if I do? What will I do? I don't think I can handle it…" He whispered.

"We'll find them." Nicole said, placing a hand on her leader's back.

"God help us, I hope we do." Gilbert whispered under his breath.

* * *

><p>Arthur felt awkward riding on top of someone he barely met and thus was quite happy when they stopped and he could get off. He thanked Vash embarrassed and looked around them. "Do you smell them?" He asked.<p>

"It's faint…" Lily murmured. "I can't really follow it."

"But it's fresh." Vash said. "They're definitely in the area."

"Can you tell how much we missed them by?" Arthur questioned.

"Maybe twenty minutes ago? They didn't stay. From the faint scent, they only passed through." Elizabeta said.

Arthur wondered in which direction they went when Amelia patted his thigh. He looked down at her. "Yes, darling?"

"Mummy, howl." She said. Arthur frowned, not understanding. "Awooh!" She mimicked the howl of a wolf, tugging on Arthur's hand insistently. Arthur blinked in realization.

"You want me to howl for them?" Amelia nodded, smiling broadly. Arthur felt that it would be a little bit humiliating, but he understood why his daughter would suggest that. Only Alfred's pack could transform into wolves so only they would understand the howling. He didn't know if Alfred would hear him, but he would try. He didn't glance at the other pack and cupped his hands around his mouth and howled loudly into the air. After a moment he tried again louder. On his third try, Amelia joined in his howling making the loudest noise Arthur had ever heard her make outside of crying.

They both stopped after the fourth try and waited, listening. "What are you doing?" Roderich demanded, confused and a little annoyed at the noise. Arthur was about to answer but his daughter beat him to it,

"Shh! Listen!" And then they heard it: a faint howling but of multiple voices. Arthur could recognize those howls easily. It was how the pack communicated and kept together when every now and again they separated to go to different areas. Arthur and Amelia quickly hurried to howl back. Arthur's heart was racing in his chest. There were howls in return, louder and closer this time.

"They're coming." He told the pack. Amelia howled again and Arthur joined her. There were no howls in response but across the mostly flat forest area he spotted figures darting around the trees. His body prickled with anticipation especially as he spotted a familiar tan wolf.

"Daddy!" Amelia cried and jumped up and down as Alfred transformed back and tackled Arthur to the ground, flipping them in time so that he took the brunt of the tackle.

"Artie!" Alfred cried happily and snuggled against Arthur's neck. "You're safe!"

"Ouch, Alfred!" Arthur grunted as Alfred pressed again various bruises and injuries on his body. "You're hurting me!"

"What?" Alfred asked, alarmed as he sat up and released Arthur. Amelia used that time to run over and hug her father, bursting into tears. "Amelia! It's okay, baby!" He hugged her tightly and kissed her hair before looking Arthur over. He saw the bruises littering his mate's body and his eyes darkened unhappily.

Arthur noticed. "I'm fine, love. I'm only a little bit banged up from the river."

Alfred reached forward and pulled Arthur down into a kiss full of raw emotions. Arthur could feel the tension behind his lips –the fear, sorrow, anger, relief, happiness that Alfred had felt between the moment Arthur and Amelia had disappeared to the point where they had found each other again. Arthur returned the gesture before pulling away so that his lips wouldn't be bruised as well.

"Don't hog them!" Zack blurted out and they looked to see Akane, Zack, and Roger waiting for their turns with their playmate. The rest of the adults were greeting the other pack and chatting. Gilbert seemed to be antagonizing Roderich. Elizabeta kept shooting him dirty looks from where she was chatting with Kiku and Nicole. Vash appeared to be keeping Lily away from Gilbert while talking with Matthew who seemed to be trying to keep Gilbert under control. Amelia wiped her eyes and wiggled out of her father's arms to go over and hug her cousins and friend. Zack and Roger kept apologizing to her while Akane looked her over for injury.

Alfred chuckled and hugged Arthur close. Arthur could feel the smallest of tremors in his mate's body and hugged his head to his chest, petting his hair. "I'm here, Alfred." He whispered soothingly. Alfred closed his eyes and absorbed his mate's warmth and the feel of his strange heartbeat on his forehead. He absorbed the feeling of life in his mate and was just happy his family was safe. They were finally back together having feeling like they were away from each other for far too long.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the wait. I don't know why, but I just didn't feel like writing for this. I have ideas for other stories. I'm guestimating there will be…hm…two more chapters? At most three more. Then I will start up another story. Unfortunately it's not the horror one yet. OTL I haven't figured out the plot line enough. The next story I'm writing will have Captain Arthur Kirkland in it because I love Pirate!England WAY too much to not write a story on him.**

**By the way, just an opinion poll because I've curious and a few people have mentioned it, who's point of view do you think I write better: America or England? Just curious.**

**Review!**


	21. Earth

**A/N: Here's a nice long chapter for you guys! (Actually it's a typical sized chapter for all my other stories, haha XD) The next chapter will be the last! **

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><p><strong>Earth<strong>

"Do we have everything?"

"Artie, what is there to pack? I mean seriously."

"That's no excuse! What about clothes? I don't have a house anymore, Alfred."

"Relax, Arthur. We packed enough clothes for everyone." Kiku came up and placed a hand on Arthur's arm to calm the frenzied man. He was running about making sure everything was ready on the ship, although he couldn't check the machinery. Instead he made it his job to watch the children and make sure that the items they would need for the trip were there. Alfred was mildly amused by it all, remembering how Arthur had acted when he was packing to move to Hetalia. He grinned and captured his mate in his arms, snuggling his face into his neck.

"Chill out, Artie." He kissed Arthur's neck. "Just go sit down and let's go already. The sooner we leave the sooner you get to see Peter, right?" Arthur stiffened in Alfred's hold before nodding. Alfred led Arthur over to a chair next to where Amelia –now appearing to be the tender age of five- sat next to her cousins Zack and Roger –both of who appeared to be nearing six years- and Akane –who looked five as well. Kiku and Nicole took the seats near Akane and Gilbert was doing last minute checks on the ship (being a mechanic) as Matthew buckled up behind Arthur. Finally Alfred and Gilbert took their seats.

Arthur looked at the children. Zack appeared nervous, gripping his seat tightly. Roger looked worried for his brother and held his brother's hand smiling a little. Zack relaxed a little but jumped at every noise as Alfred began flipping switches. Akane looked content like his father always keeping a generally neutral face. His eyes drifted around the ship's cabin, though, interested in everything. Amelia was practically vibrating with excitement. She fidgeted wanting to run about. Matthew, Arthur, and Nicole had a hell of a time trying to catch the bundle of energy as she tried to check out everything. Finally Alfred caught her when she fell and hit a button that had launched a chair out of the ship.

She was scolded severely for that and it added another ten minutes to the preparations as the seat was reattached and Amelia was put in a seat and strapped in. She had cried for a little bit but she was back to her normal self. She didn't try to get out of her seat. She didn't want to get in trouble again.

Alfred grinned widely at his pack. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah!" The majority of the pack cheered.

"Try not to crash this time, Al." Gilbert joked.

"Crash!" Zack squeaked, wide-eyed.

"He's just kidding, Zack." Matthew soothed. "That was one time. Your uncle knows better this time," he glared at Alfred, "_right_?"

"Ahaha, of course!" Alfred quickly turned back around. "Well! Say goodbye to Hetalia guys! We won't see it for a while!"

"Bye, Hetalia!" Amelia squealed happily, waving to the people outside the window as the ship started to rise. Roger gripped his brother's hand tighter. Akane appeared fascinated. This would be the children's first memory of flying. Alfred glanced once at Arthur and smiled. Arthur smiled back, unable to contain all of his own excitement. It had been over a year (three for Peter) since he had seen his younger brother. He wondered how he was doing. He wanted to show Amelia her uncle. He wanted to know what was happening on Earth. So much and yet so little can happen in the span of three years.

Arthur watched as the Hetalian planets began to fade into the distance and when they were small enough that the main planet appeared to be the size of a tennis ball, Alfred said gave the okay to get out of their seats. Three of the children jumped out of their seats and ran for the windows. Zack stayed clutching his seat. Matthew and Gilbert went over to coax him out of it. Nicole and Kiku joined the children as Amelia jumped up and down in excitement, her tail waving back and forth furiously. Arthur unstrapped himself to peer out a different window. There were a number of planets that he could see not far off in the distance. Alfred came up behind him and pointed.

"You see that greenish colored one? That's where Tony lives!" Arthur pulled a face. He remembered meeting Alfred's friend. The alien looked just as Alfred had described, like the aliens that humans imagined all aliens to be. Tony also apparently hated Arthur's guts for no apparent reason. Arthur felt that the feeling was mutual. He sensed that Tony had a type of over-protectiveness of Alfred. And Arthur felt a little jealous of that. He didn't know exactly how long the two had known each other.

"Mummy!" Amelia ran up to Arthur and hopped beside him with the rest of the children following behind (but not hopping and Zack –having finally been coaxed out of his seat- appeared to still be nervous).

"Are we really going to your home planet?" Roger asked.

Arthur nodded and pet his hair a little. "We are."

"What is it like?" Akane asked.

"It's not much different from Hetalia. The inhabitants can't transform, however, and we wear clothing all of the time."

The kids didn't appear happy with that. "But that's only around other people!" Nicole cut in with a smile. "We can undress in the forest when it's just us."

"Yay!" Amelia squealed and hugged Akane in her excitement. Akane turned bright red and ran out of her hold and hid behind his father's legs.

"D-don't just hug me like that!" He told her, hiding his face directly afterwards. His parents gazed at him in surprise before sharing a smile. Arthur gazed at the child in confusion, wondering what was wrong with him.

Soon after that everyone was led to the pod room and the parents persuaded the children into their pods. Arthur joined Alfred in his and tucked his head under his mate's. Alfred kissed Arthur's hair. "G'night, Artie." He murmured as the sleeping gas filtered into the pod and Arthur felt his eyelids droop.

"Good night…"

* * *

><p>Arthur awoke as the pod opened and Alfred helped him step out before they went over to the children. They were fine but a little disoriented as they tried to gather their bearings. Alfred left to go back to the pilot's chair as the rest of the pack filed out after him. Arthur felt his heart fill with something –nostalgia? Joy?- as he laid his eyes on the planet Earth. He let out a soft sigh that he felt he had been holding for a long time. Perhaps he <em>had<em> been homesick. But now he was home.

The children marveled at the planet as Alfred called out, "Welcome to planet Earth: Home of the most beautiful man in the universe besides me!" Arthur slapped the back of Alfred's head, blushing a little as Nicole laughed loudly and Amelia giggled, climbing into Alfred's lap to look from the pilot's seat.

"Don't say such things, wanker!" Arthur told him and Matthew gently grabbed Arthur's arm to lead him over to his seat. Alfred buckled his daughter in with him while the rest of the pack buckled up. Arthur was amazed by the reentrance to Earth as the scenery blurred with speed to the point that not even flames appeared. They pierced the atmosphere and before suddenly the ground was beneath them and Alfred straightened the ship so they landed vertically. After a few minutes of Alfred pressing buttons and flipping switches expertly he announced their landing and everyone climbed out of their seats. Arthur barely repressed the urge to run to the door. His daughter did so instead.

"Wait! Before we go out, has everyone gotten all of their vaccines?" Matthew asked.

"Yes." Kiku nodded. "I made sure to double check before we left."

"Okay." Matthew smiled and Arthur took the lead. He took a deep breath and opened the door. The cold of the winter rushed in and he began to gag, coughing. The children joined him and the five of them hacked while the other adults only coughed a little. Arthur was shocked. He felt like he just ate something utterly disgusting and had breathed in smoke. It hurt his lungs some to taste this air. It was disgusting. Had the Earth become overly polluted? Were they near a major city?

He opened his eyes and saw it was the middle of the forest –and he recognized it as the one near his old house. He was thrown, confused. Gilbert patted his back. "Yeah, shocking isn't it? It takes a bit to get used to."

Zack buried his face against his father's clothed thigh. "It stinks, _Vati_." He murmured. Matthew picked up Roger and held him as the other children tried to cover their noses. Alfred scooped up Amelia and pet the girl, tucking her tail into her pants and placing a large sunhat on her head to cover her ears.

"You'll get used to it. Don't worry." Nicole said, petting Akane's hair as he buried his nose into his father's shoulder as well.

"Did I really live on this planet?" Arthur murmured under his breath as his body quickly began to adjust. He hadn't realized just how clean Hetalia's air was before he arrived here. He lifted his arms and was startled to discover that he felt lighter. He looked at Alfred as the man herded his pack out to start walking. "Alfred, is the gravity different here from Hetalia?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. You noticed?" Arthur nodded.

"The gravity is about two and a half times heavier on Hetalia. How do you think we were able to jump onto houses and stuff?" Gilbert informed him.

"That makes sense." Arthur said. They walked for about half an hour with the children running around in the forest but keeping in the parents' sights. It was then that Arthur's old house came into view and everyone paused. The children marveled at all of the houses, having never seen so many in one place before. There was no such thing as a suburb on Hetalia.

"Do you think he still lives there?" Matthew asked.

"I don't know. I've forgotten his scent." Nicole said.

"It's worth a try." Kiku said. They gathered the children and walked around front. Arthur was nervous as he knocked on the door. After the second one the door was open to reveal a young red-headed woman with bright green eyes. She appeared startled to see such a large crowd on her porch.

"A field trip?" She joked. Arthur was suddenly reminded that his pack all looked much younger than him. It gnawed at him.

"A-ah, no. Excuse us, but we're looking for Peter Kirkland?" He asked.

She appeared a little more confused now and called over her shoulder, "Peter! Some people are here to see you!" Arthur wondered who this woman was.

"Who is it?" He recognized Peter's voice and down the stairs Arthur saw his brother. He was definitely older, but not by much. He looked more mature. Peter's eyes widened upon seeing him. "Jerk Arthur!" He jumped down the stairs and ran to pull Arthur into a quick hug before hugging the others in succession. "You came to visit? You jerk! It's been three years!"

"It can't be helped. You understand the time difference."

"Can we come in?" Matthew asked.

"Yes! Come in!" He and the woman stepped aside and the pack filed in. Peter's eyes widened at seeing the children.

"Ah, um…who are they?" He asked, pointing to the kids, who were gazing at him warily. Amelia was smiling, however.

"You have mummy's eyebrows!" She pointed out tactfully. "Are you uncle?"

"Um…"

"It's a long story." Arthur sighed. "But first, who is this lovely young lady?"

Peter took her hand. "Arthur, this is my wife Martha. We got married a year ago. Martha, this is my brother Arthur and his pack of friends." Martha smiled.

"It's nice to meet you all."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too." The pack chorused and then they looked at each other before laughing.

"Hey Peter, does she know about…you know?" Alfred asked, leaning forward on Arthur.

Peter shook his head as Martha looked at him. "But I suppose she'll have to know considering she's now related to you guys. Do you mind?"

"As long as it's not spread all that much."

"Then let us start our story." Arthur said.

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><p>Peter and Martha were stunned by the end of it. Martha was no doubt experiencing culture shock. Arthur sympathized. But Peter was amazed that he had an actual niece of flesh and blood. They talked well into the night and Martha –who was luckily a great cook- made enough for all of them. Peter and Arthur chatted a lot to catch up, feeling their family come back together even if they weren't the closest of brothers. They had missed each other. Arthur told him all about Hetalia and how strange it was and yet so beautiful. He gave Peter a large chunk of the sapphire-like crystal that was useless on Hetalia but he knew would be worth a fortune here. Peter had marveled and taken it.<p>

Peter broke the news to Arthur that their brother had passed on, shocking Arthur. He wasn't just shocked that one of his family members was gone, but also that he felt so detached from the fact. He hadn't talked to his brothers beside Peter in years. And on top of that his life had changed dramatically. Outside of Peter and Francis, he felt no connection to the people here. It was a startling revelation.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here?" Martha asked again as the pack stepped outside at nearly ten thirty at night. "I can make up room."

"No, it's really alright." Nicole said. "Really."

"We enjoy sleeping outside. But thank you for the offer." Kiku bowed.

"If you say so…" Martha looked unsure.

"We are." Matthew smiled.

"_Merci_!" The twins echoed each other. "Dinner was good!"

"You're welcome."

"We'll visit again tomorrow." Arthur promised and the pack left into the forest. Alfred tugged a little on Arthur's shirt to catch his attention.

He leaned into his ear. "It's a full moon, Artie. Do you want to…?"

"Yes." Arthur nodded immediately. Alfred quickly dismissed the pack and told them that they would be back before he transformed and he and Arthur ran off to watch the faeries. The two lay together in the grass watching the moon drift across the sky while waiting for midnight to come. Arthur thought about the last time he was here for his very first date with Alfred. Where he first fell in love with this alien from another planet. He turned his head to look at his mate. Alfred's eyes were closed and his glasses were lying on his bare chest. Arthur thought about how young and innocent he looked and recalled that Alfred was much older than he. He also understood, lying here for hours already, that he had much more patience. He wouldn't have been able to handle this silence for this long before.

Alfred's eyes opened then and the moon was reflected in them as he met Arthur's gaze. He smiled –not grinned, but a gentle smile meant for the best and most memorable occasions. Arthur's heart swelled and their hands found each other. He didn't regret losing that bet. He was happy he pushed past his insecurities. He felt proud to be with Alfred. He felt proud that Alfred wanted him despite everything. They weren't even the same species, or different sexes, or close to the same age, and they originally didn't speak the same language because Alfred had to learn English. And yet here they lay with each other.

The fairies came out into the meadow singing a different song than the Waltz of the Moon Arthur had been hoping for, but it had been just as beautiful and it still brought tears to his eyes. He and Alfred got up and danced to it, so much closer than they were the first time. Alfred had his heart and the moment shared between them could never be taken away. He could feel their hearts beating as one. He loved Alfred. That night only renewed the feeling.

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><p>The week passed quickly in Arthur's opinion and he was surprised that he only needed to sleep three times in seven days. They visited Francis and updated him and he was with them when they went to the ship to leave. The children had loved the trip but were homesick. They rushed into the ship after their goodbyes and Gilbert and Kiku said goodbye as well before going into the ship. One by one they left until it was just Alfred and Arthur. Alfred stood at the door to the ship, waiting. Arthur stayed staring at his close friend and family. Nothing had changed between Francis and him. They fought almost immediately upon seeing each other, but Arthur felt a relief at seeing him.<p>

He saw something in Francis's eyes and he knew it immediately upon seeing it. It wasn't an unfamiliar emotion to Arthur. Francis was jealous. Subtly so, but it was there. Arthur opened his mouth to speak before he fully thought it through, "Francis, do you want to come with us?"

"What? _Moi?_" Francis asked, surprised.

"What?" Alfred echoed, shocked. Arthur didn't take back his words, though.

"Is that your decision?" Francis asked Arthur.

Arthur looked at Alfred. "It's not an issue, is it? There's enough room. And he already runs around naked every chance he gets anyway." Francis chuckled in an exasperated manner.

Alfred looked unsure. "B-but Artie…." He trailed off with a slightly angry look. Arthur wondered why he was mad and thought back to what Francis could've done to piss his mate off.

"Do not worry, _mi ami_, Alfred. I have long gotten over my feelings for Arthur. You won't have to worry." Francis said with a disarming smile. Alfred looked a little relieved. Arthur couldn't believe that Alfred was holding that grudge still.

"Well, I don't really care as long as he doesn't touch any of my pack inappropriately." Alfred said before he waved and went inside of the ship. Arthur turned to Francis.

Francis looked excited. "I'm older now and I have nothing left but to settle down. Perhaps on Hetalia I'll have a better chance? After all, you found a mate even with your eyebrows."

"You frog!" Arthur yelled.

Francis laughed. "I would love to go! Good bye, Peter, Martha!" He said, going into the ship. Arthur spent longer to say goodbye. He wouldn't see Peter for a long time, he knew. He wondered if he would have another nephew from his brother next time.

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><p><strong>AN: Just so you know, the song they danced to this time was "Once Upon A December". I fucking love that song.**

**Review~~~~~!**


	22. Future

**A/N: Well! Here's the last chapter for this story and this universe! It's been a trip, huh? This is the largest amount of chapters I've written for one story. I'm impressed. I want to thank all of my followers of this story and especially to my reviewers! I hope you continue to read some of my other stories. I have ideas for a few other ones. I'll be working on **_**Brother Complex**_** and try to start either the pirate one or the demon story soon.**

**Enjoy and Review!**

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><p><strong>Future<strong>

A steady cool breeze brushed past Arthur's hair and ruffled it some as autumn on planet Hetalia made itself known. Arthur gazed up at the lavender sky as the Star began its descent towards the horizon. Soon it would be dark. He glanced to his left and saw his packmates going about doing various things. Kiku and Nicole were kissing, slowly but surely trying to get each other into the mood for the mating they no doubt were going to try. After a few years of being together, they could sense when their heat was coming. They probably wouldn't be sleeping here tonight. Zack and Roger were missing at the moment, the two twins off with another pack at the moment visiting some friends. They would be back later, Arthur knew. Akane was whittling a figure out of a large branch he had plucked from one of the trees earlier. Arthur couldn't tell from that distance what it was, but he had a feeling. Gilbert and Matthew were washing up together in the river, touching each other teasingly and hinting at things to come. Their heats would be arriving sometime soon as well, Arthur recognized.

It was then Amelia ran out from the trees and tackled Akane into a hug. The boy cried out and turned bright red before escaping her hold and running off. Amelia laughed and dashed after, easily catching up to him and hugging him. She was no doubt asking what he was making. Akane shook his head and hid the figure, trying desperately to get away from the girl. Finally he slipped out and transformed into a type of bird, his items clutched in his claws as he flew to the top of one of the towering trees. Amelia pouted, not being able to transform after him and she looked at the tree contemplating if she wanted to climb after him. She decidedly gave up and joined Arthur to sit next to him, smiling.

Arthur smiled back a little and asked quietly, "Why is it that you hug poor Akane when you know he doesn't like it?"

Amelia giggled and replied at the same volume, "Because he's cute when he blushes!" Arthur was startled by her answer, having expected a deeper reason from his genius of a daughter.

"That's all?"

"Yes." Arthur hummed and turned away to look at the approaching figures in the distance. There were five of them. Arthur knew who they were and closed his eyes a bit as Amelia took off and ran towards them.

"Hey, Artie?" He heard a murmur and looked down at his lap where Alfred had been napping on his thighs. Alfred was blinking his eyes open and rubbing them beneath his glasses. Arthur removed the unnecessary piece of eyewear and placed it next to them.

"Did we wake you?" Arthur asked.

"Nah, kinda woke up on my own." He turned his head to see Francis and Jeanne and their children enter the field. Amelia was playing with their eldest son who was only three years old. Arthur looked at his own son, the three week old little boy's eyes open and quietly opening and closing his fists, fascinated with his fingers. He was a thinker, Arthur could tell. He was having a quiet moment, though. Usually little Nicolas was always chattering (always in baby talk, though. He hadn't learnt any real words yet) but the child must be almost asleep. It was becoming late after all.

Arthur felt completely at ease with his life. It had been six years since he had first arrived on Hetalia. By Earth standards he was now forty-six but he hadn't aged (except for a few days, perhaps). He and Alfred were still going strong together. They fought at least once every day and sometimes physically, but now it had become play. There was almost never any harmful intent behind their words. This was as close to perfection in a relationship as Arthur was expecting. And he was happy with this. The fighting made sure that things didn't become boring but the love they shared made it all worthwhile.

They had a second child not too long ago and had just come out of their (Alfred's) 'overprotective' stage. They had agreed to call him Nicolas (Nicole had found it entertaining claiming he was named after her when really Arthur just liked the name) and he was almost like a mini clone of Arthur. He had the same eyebrows (if a bit smaller) and messy blonde hair (it hadn't grown in fully yet, but they could already tell it would be). His eyes were slightly different, though. They were instead a green-blue but still Alfred had been beside himself with glee at the sight. The only difference was that Nicolas appeared to have Alfred's mouth, the little boy often chattering about nonsensical things and questioning the world around him. He had the curiosity that would put the cat to shame. He was a very physical child constantly wanting to touch things and taste them and smell them. Arthur and Alfred kept a close eye on him. He would be troublesome as he learned to walk and crawl.

Amelia had grown into a fine woman at the age of six now. She had the body of a seventeen year old and her brown hair had lightened to a honey blonde similar to Alfred's but a little lighter. At first Arthur had been wary of letting her run around naked when she was an adult now, but Amelia assured him it was fine. She was beautiful with her hair shoulder length and her body fit because of her pride. She had become the fastest runner in the group in human form and she could nimbly climb trees. Her tail and ears had grown to match her new adult body and added to her features stunningly. She was chased after by many suitors, but they had to fight off her cousins and Akane. They refused to let any males come onto Amelia. They were only slightly more lenient with females, but there were almost none.

Zack and Roger had grown into fine young men looking to be about the ages of twenty. Their hair colours had stayed the same and they kept it the same length of just at their ears. They had become sort of like Alfred and Matthew but in a less dramatic way. Roger was like Matthew, with a devious side like Alfred and Zack had Alfred's personality although he was calmer and tended to be more mature. They had both found two twins from another pack that they had fallen for and were pursuing. Unfortunately the two twins were in love with the other brother. They would have a difficult time with that.

Akane looked like a twin of his father and appeared to be eighteen. He was like him in every way but one –he overreacted over simplest touches, specifically from Amelia. He was a 'tsundere' like Nicole and Kiku said. He turned red nearby Amelia and ran away from her often –especially since they had become older. Arthur had been confused by it and so were Alfred and Matthew. Nicole and Kiku just giggled as if they had a secret. Gilbert had rolled his eyes, obviously knowing what was up but not explaining it. Although he ran from Amelia, Akane was protective of her. Arthur had a feeling it was because of the Alpha personality of his. Akane's Alpha personality had occasionally clashed with Alfred's and Gilbert's, causing some fights between the three of them. But they were minor skirmishes that wouldn't turn physical as Akane knew his place in the pack's hierarchy. He wasn't trying to change it. It was a matter of time when Akane chose to start his own pack. He would probably take Amelia, Zack, Roger, and maybe even Francis's eldest son Pierre with him.

Upon arriving on Hetalia, Francis had immediately stripped and was in awe of the new world. He fit in easily and the only thing keeping him from being completely like the Hetalians were his lack of transformation and that he couldn't speak the language yet. He had come with the pack to see the parent pack and had instantly fallen for Jeanne. He had harassed the poor girl even though she couldn't understand him. Matthew had often translated some of what he said. Eventually the girl began to understand what Francis was saying and vice versa, but she seemed to learn French easier. That was the language she spoke with Francis. The two had become mates nearly a year later and soon after Jeanne was pregnant. It took two more children before they finally discovered the plant that acted as birth control. It was especially needed considering humans were so fertile compared to Hetalians. Francis thanked Arthur every now and again for bringing him with him to Hetalia. He had found his mate here that was willing to put up with him.

Nicole and Kiku lived calmly although like Matthew and Gilbert they were trying for another child. They wanted to have a bigger family and were jealous that Alfred and Arthur had had another child. The two constantly stalked Akane and Amelia, apparently supporting some kind of relationship that wasn't there between the two friends. But they were Arthur's closest friends and were the ones he turned to whenever he was mad at Alfred.

Gilbert and Matthew wanted another child as well even though they had already had two children. Gilbert had wanted to form a pack of his own, so that they could go off and not be under Alfred. But Arthur felt that he might have to fight Akane, if Akane had the courage to face off against Gilbert. He doubted it, but Akane could surprise him. But they had been unsuccessful so far and until that day comes, they would stay with Alfred and Arthur's pack.

Arthur watched as Akane came down from the tree and watched Amelia with a stoic face. Arthur could tell he wanted something. Nicole and Kiku popped up next to Arthur. "It's finally about to happen!" Nicole squealed softly.

Alfred and Arthur looked at them. "What?" Alfred asked, looking excited as well for his friend. He didn't know what was happening, but he was always one to get excited.

"I think Akane is going to confess." Kiku stated, smiling. This was the most excited Arthur had seen the man in a long time.

"Confess? To whom?" Arthur questioned. They pointed at Akane. Amelia had run over and was talking with him. Akane was looking away as he talked to her. The girl's ears drooped a little and Arthur frowned with concern. Akane looked flustered at seeing her distressed and said something quickly before holding out the thing he had been whittling at for days. Amelia gaped at it and looked it over. Arthur could read Akane's lips from where he was and he was shocked to discover that Akane liked Amelia. Then he kicked himself for not seeing it earlier. Amelia apparently accepted as she pulled the boy into a hug. Akane blushed but didn't pull away, this time hugging her back.

"Oh my god, we're going to be related!" Alfred cried to Kiku and Amelia happily, startling little Nicolas from his dozing.

"I know!" Nicole squealed and got up to run over to the new couple. Kiku looked at Arthur and Alfred.

"Shall we have a wedding for them as well?" He asked. Arthur's fingers found his emerald ring and fingered it absently. Two years ago Arthur and Alfred, Matthew and Gilbert, and Kiku and Nicole had had one big wedding together like back on Earth. It was traditional with rings and Arthur had been happy that he had physical proof of his love with Alfred even if it was a little superficial. The ring was beautiful, though and Arthur loved it.

"If they become mates!" Alfred agreed. Kiku nodded and walked off to tell Matthew and Gilbert the good news. He noticed Arthur gazing at the ring on his finger lovingly and smiled. "You like it?"

"Hm? Yes, of course." Arthur let his hand press against Alfred's cheek. The man took Arthur's hand and kissed his fingers. Arthur's breath hitched ever so slightly, amazed that his body still reacted like it did even after being with Alfred for six years. "Alfred, why is it that you chose me for a mate?"

Alfred huffed, slightly annoyed. "You still ask that question? Come on, Artie."

"I-I just mean that you didn't need to choose me. Why me?"

Alfred thought about it. "Well, is it weird to say that I'm glad you kept getting attacked?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Cuz you know, I probably wouldn't have realized just how amazing you are without those things."

Arthur felt a little flattered. "What would you have done if you had lost our bet?"

"What bet?"

"The one that led to our date."

"Oh! That one. Wow, that was a long time ago. What would I have done? Hm…probably would've wooed you with my awesome cooking!" Alfred grinned.

Arthur was unimpressed. "What makes you think it would've worked?"

Alfred pulled Arthur down into a kiss and murmured against his lips, "Because you can't resist me." Arthur's eyelids lowered and he kissed back with a soft sigh. He knew Alfred was right. He couldn't resist Alfred to save his life. He loved him. And he was glad that he lost his bet to Alfred.

A little bit of lost pride was completely worth the 'consequences'.


End file.
